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To manage the Windows Widgets experience across an organization, create and assign a Windows Settings catalog configuration profile in Microsoft Intune. The broad AllowNewsAndInterests policy controls Widgets availability, including taskbar content. Separate policies for disabling the Widgets Board or lock-screen widgets are marked for Windows Insider Preview, so verify their availability for your target build before relying on them.
Choose the policy that matches what you want to control
These policies do not all have the same scope. Microsoft’s Policy CSP documents their applicability and behavior; check its live details and the Settings catalog for the Windows build you manage.
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| Policy | Effect | Applicability |
|---|---|---|
AllowNewsAndInterests |
Broad, device-scoped control of the Widgets experience, including taskbar content. Value 1 allows it and is the default; value 0 does not allow it. |
Windows 11 version 21H2 and later; Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise/IoT Enterprise LTSC. Microsoft Policy CSP: NewsAndInterests |
DisableWidgetsBoard |
When enabled, disables the Widgets Board and removes its taskbar entry point. | Marked Windows Insider Preview in the CSP. Do not assume it is a generally available production control. Microsoft Policy CSP: Widgets |
DisableWidgetsOnLockScreen |
When enabled, disables Widgets on the lock screen. When disabled or unconfigured, widgets can appear there and are managed in Windows Settings. | Marked Windows Insider Preview in the CSP. Check target-build support before deployment. Microsoft Policy CSP: Widgets |
For the taskbar policy reference, Microsoft maps “Allow widgets” to ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/NewsAndInterests/AllowNewsAndInterests and to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Widgets > Allow widgets. Microsoft Policy CSP: Taskbar
Intune’s Settings catalog options are generated from policy CSPs, but Microsoft notes that its device-restrictions documentation does not list every setting supported by Intune. Confirm the setting appears in the live catalog and review its CSP applicability for the exact target build before creating a rollout. Microsoft Intune Settings catalog Microsoft Intune device restrictions
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Create and assign the Intune profile
- In the Intune admin center, go to Devices > Manage devices > Configuration > Create > New policy. Microsoft’s documented workflow uses this path; labels may change. Microsoft Intune Settings catalog
- Select Windows 10 and later as the platform and Settings catalog as the profile type.
- Open the settings picker and search for the policy that matches the intended effect, such as
AllowNewsAndInterests. Confirm the selected setting’s scope and applicability against Microsoft’s CSP documentation. - Configure the desired value. For
AllowNewsAndInterests, choose0to disallow the broad Widgets experience or1to allow it. - Review the profile, then assign it to the relevant users or groups. A created profile is not evidence that a device has received the policy.
- Allow the targeted devices to check in. The device applies configured settings at its next configuration check-in.
Verify delivery and troubleshoot status
Use the profile status and per-setting reports in Intune to confirm whether the policy reached devices. Microsoft’s reporting shows successful application, conflicts, and errors, with device-level details to investigate. Microsoft Intune Settings catalog
- Not yet applied: Confirm the device is in the assigned scope and allow its next configuration check-in. Profile creation alone does not deliver the setting.
- Conflict: Check whether another assigned profile configures the same setting to a different value. Resolve the competing configuration, then review the device’s status again.
- Error or unsupported setting: Confirm the Windows edition and build meet the CSP applicability requirements. For the Board and lock-screen controls, pay particular attention to the Insider Preview designation and confirm live catalog support.
Which control should an administrator use?
Use AllowNewsAndInterests when the goal is to allow or disallow the broad Widgets experience, including taskbar content, on its documented Windows 11 editions. Treat DisableWidgetsBoard and DisableWidgetsOnLockScreen as narrower controls whose documented applicability is Windows Insider Preview; do not substitute them for a broadly supported production policy without verifying the target build.
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