Microsoft is adding a new ability for third-party developers to add widgets to Windows, as well as a new “top cards” summary of your PC within the Settings menu.
Microsoft began rolling out the new changes as part of the Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.4800 (Beta Channel). The Beta Channel is usually a signal that the change will eventually roll out to the stable channel of Windows 11 PCs — which means everyone, basically.
Microsoft is making two key changes here. In December, Microsoft began allowing more flexibility in the development of third-party widgets, part of the widget panel within Windows 11. Apps that implement Windows widgets can now just use HTML served from a remote URL, as opposed to the existing Adaptive Card schema format. Microsoft said previously that the HTML development process was only available to users in the European Economic Area, however.
Microsoft is also making a small but welcome change to the Windows Settings menu, within the “About” section (Settings > System > About). The introduction of what Microsoft calls “top cards” will show off the components of your system, though with minimal details right now.
Microsoft
You may be quite familiar with the components in your system — heck, you may have even installed them yourself. The new Top Cards is admittedly pretty lackluster right now, but I approve of any way to quickly summarize everything your PC has in it, and I hope that Microsoft continues to enrich this particular feature in subsequent releases.
Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor, PCWorld
Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers’ News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.
