The taskbar in Windows 10 is probably one of the most neglected features of the operating system. Tap or click here for 5 new Windows 10 tricks you wish you knew before now.
When major updates are rolled out, the taskbar is usually left unchanged. Over the years, it has received minimal design updates or functionality additions.
This changed recently as Microsoft is releasing an update that adds a bit more functionality to the taskbar. Initially released to Windows Insider members in January, the new taskbar is being made available to all users. Keep reading to learn how to use the new tool.
Introducing Taskbar Update
The previous version of the Taskbar and Start Menu had the ability to show news articles and weather updates via Live Tiles. This information has now been moved to its own widget, which is located on the right side of the taskbar, next to the clock.
You can personalize the widget to display articles from your favorite news sources and can be filtered to include a variety of topics. Hovering your mouse over the widget gives you a snapshot of the trend. To read anything of interest, click on the card.
“You can personalize your feed with relevant content tailored just for you. Instead of switching between apps or your PC and phone to stay up to date with the news and interests you care about – your Peek directly into your feed from the taskbar at any time throughout the day,” Microsoft explained.
The backbone of the News Feed works through MSN and Microsoft News, which receive articles and updates from nearly 5,000 sources worldwide. In Interest Manager you can adjust your interests in news articles and topics.
When can you get it?
If you’re looking forward to trying out the new widget, you may have to wait for it to arrive. Although it is available now, it will be available to all users over the next several weeks.
“We are taking a phased and measured approach and will have wider availability in the coming months,” the company explained in a blog post.
There are some caveats to using the new widget. For this to work properly and for links to open correctly, you must have Microsoft’s Edge browser installed. Any article or link you click on will open in Edge, and there doesn’t seem to be a way around that for now. Here’s a quick video of how it works:
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