Widgets.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Also called widgets, windows widgets, widgets board

WindowsSystem Component

The Windows 11 Widgets board. The dashboard UI lives here. WidgetService.exe is the platform service underneath.

What you need to know

This is the Widgets dashboard, not WidgetService.exe and not msedge.exe.

Widgets.exe is the Web Experience dashboard. It embeds WebView2 for news and weather. Ending it closes the board. The service may start it again.

Safe?: Yes. It is the Widgets board
High RAM?: Live tiles and WebView2
Need it?: No. Hide it on the taskbar

Feex says

If Widgets is the memory number I notice after Win+W, I would hide the taskbar icon. That is cheaper than hunting Edge.

What is Widgets.exe?

Widgets.exe is the Windows 11 Widgets dashboard in the WebExperience package.

What does it do?

It renders the board and hosts widget cards. Network news cards pull the web through WebView2, which is why msedgewebview2.exe appears beside it.

Why is it running?

You pressed Win+W, hovered the Widgets icon, or the feature auto-started. A PC with Widgets off should not keep this UI resident.

Is it safe?

Usually safe

The WebExperience Widgets.exe is Microsoft. A widgets.exe from a gadget site is not the Windows 11 board.

A legitimate copy normally runs from:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience_*\Dashboard\Widgets.exe

Dashboard UI
Service: WidgetService.exe
Embed: WebView2

Can I end it?

Closes the board

Ending Widgets.exe closes the dashboard. Turn the taskbar icon off if you do not want it to return.

Can I remove it?

Hide or remove the feature

Do not delete WindowsApps files. Hide Widgets on the taskbar so Widgets.exe and WebView2 are not the weekly RAM hunt.

Should it start with Windows?

Taskbar Widgets can start the board. That is a Windows 11 setting.

Normal resource behavior

These are contextual labels, not universal averages.

CPU: Live cards
Memory: The usual complaint, plus WebView2
Network: News feeds
Disk: Low

File information

Widgets.exe file information
Executable name	Widgets.exe
Common legitimate path	C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience_*\Dashboard\Widgets.exe
Publisher	Microsoft Corporation
Signature expectation	Signed by Microsoft Windows

Common problems

RAM after opening Widgets once

Close the board and hide the icon. WebView2 may linger until the host exits.

People uninstall Edge

The board uses WebView2, not necessarily a full msedge.exe window.

Troubleshooting

Diagnose before you change anything destructive.

Taskbar settings > Widgets off

The lasting fix.

Sign out of the Widgets board if feeds feel noisy

That is an account setting, not a process delete.

Technical details

Widgets.exe technical details
Image name	Widgets.exe
Role	Widgets dashboard

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Microsoft Support: Widgets · Win+W board
Microsoft Learn: Windows · Primary Windows documentation
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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