Microsoft is working on a big Start menu update for Windows 11 that includes widgets via new 'companions' feature
What you need to know
Microsoft may be adding the ability to display widgets next to the Start menu on Windows 11.
The latest Windows 11 preview build includes early plumbing work for showing "Adaptive Cards" in Start.
Adaptive Cards is what developers can use to create widget-like experiences on Windows and in apps.
It looks like Microsoft is working on a significant update to the Start menu on Windows 11 that will allow users to display widgets (or widget-like experiences) on either side of the interface.
Spotted by @thebookisclosed on X, the latest Windows 11 preview build appears to include early plumbing work for displaying Adaptive Cards alongside the Start menu. Specifically, there are references to a "CompanionCardReader," which sounds like an extensible framework that will allow widgets to appear on either the left or right side of Start.
Because this looks to be extensible, developers will be able to build their own experiences for the Start menu. The feature is in a very early state currently, so it's not actually functional just yet. Thanks to @thebookisclosed, we do get to see what this feature might look like, which includes a sidebar interface that floats alongside the left or right side of the Start menu.
The ability to place widgets in the Start menu has been a feature that users have been asking for since Windows 11 first debuted in 2021. After live tiles were killed off, users have been yearning for an interface paradigm that can show more information about their favorite apps in the Start menu, and being able to show widgets alongside Start might just be the answer to those prayers.
It's unclear when Microsoft intends to formally announce this new feature, or if it's just an internal experiment that will never see the light of day. Microsoft is hosting a special Windows event on May 20 where it plans to unveil new Windows features, so maybe we will hear more about these Start menu improvements then.
