Microsoft recently announced that the first third-party widget for Windows 11 is finally available to try if you’re a Windows Insider in the Dev Channel. In fact, if you’re testing the latest versions of Windows 11, you can try Facebook’s new Messenger widget, which makes it easy to access your conversations on the Widgets panel. We’ve previously covered how to use the tools in general, but if you want to learn how to use the new Messenger tool, we’re here to help.
This process is actually fairly straightforward. The only requirements are that you have a recent build of Windows 11 in the Dev Channel for the Insider Program, and that you have the latest version of the Messenger app installed on the Microsoft Store. You can read more about the Windows Insider channels here, but once you’re in the Dev channel, follow these steps:
- download this Messenger app from the Microsoft Store.
- If you already have the app, make sure you have the latest version by heading over to library Microsoft Store section and click Get updates.
- If you already have the app, make sure you have the latest version by heading over to library Microsoft Store section and click Get updates.
- Open the Messenger app and sign in to your account (if you haven’t already).
- Open the Widgets panel by tapping Windows + W on the keyboard, or hover your mouse over the Widgets button in the lower left corner of the screen.
- tap on + (plus) icon near the top-right corner of the Widgets panel to add a new widget.
- You should see the Messenger widget as an option. Click it to add it to your board.
- The Messenger widget will now be on your panel, next to your other widgets. The default size will display your last four conversations.
- Click on any of the conversations to open that chat in the Messenger app.
- You can change the size of the widget by clicking the three dots near the top right corner and making a selection youngAnd middleor Big. You can also move the widget to your preferred position by clicking on the title bar and dragging it around.
Thats all about it. The tool doesn’t let you send a direct message to another contact without opening the app, but that’s probably what you’d expect from a widget. It’s also worth noting that the Messenger app has a separate section for messages from the Facebook Marketplace, and those also don’t appear on the widget. However, this is only the initial version, so it is possible that we may see more capabilities added in the future. If you want to learn more about Insider features, we’ve got a running list of all the Windows 11 features available in Preview.
