How To Turn Off News And Interests In Windows 10

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How to Turn Off News and Interests in Windows 10

News and Interests on Windows 10 can be quite handy, keeping you updated on the latest headlines, weather, and more, right from your taskbar. But, let's be real, sometimes it can be a bit distracting or just not your cup of tea. If you're looking to declutter your taskbar and reclaim that space, you've come to the right place! This guide will walk you through simple and effective methods to turn off or even customize the News and Interests feed in Windows 10. So, whether you're a tech newbie or a seasoned Windows user, you'll find these steps easy to follow. Let's dive in and get your taskbar looking exactly how you want it!

Understanding News and Interests

Before we jump into disabling it, let's quickly understand what News and Interests actually is. Introduced by Microsoft, this feature is designed to provide you with quick access to news headlines, weather updates, sports scores, and other information directly from your taskbar. It's meant to be a convenient way to stay informed without having to open a separate app or browser window. The information is personalized based on your browsing history and interests, aiming to deliver content that's relevant to you. However, the constant stream of updates and the visual clutter it adds to the taskbar can be overwhelming for some users. That's why knowing how to turn it off or customize it is super useful.

The News and Interests feature is Microsoft's attempt to keep you engaged and informed, offering a blend of news, weather, sports, and even financial updates right at your fingertips. Think of it as a mini-dashboard that lives on your taskbar, constantly updating with the latest information it thinks you'll find interesting. It's designed to be personalized, learning from your browsing habits and the news topics you engage with to curate a feed that's relevant to your tastes. While this sounds great in theory, the reality can be a bit different. Many users find the constant updates distracting, the information overwhelming, or simply don't want another app vying for their attention. The good news is that Microsoft provides a straightforward way to disable or customize this feature, allowing you to tailor your Windows 10 experience to your liking. Whether you're looking to completely remove the icon from your taskbar or fine-tune the content you see, the following steps will guide you through the process. So, let's get started and take control of your taskbar!

Step-by-Step Guide to Disabling News and Interests

Alright, let's get straight to the point. Here’s how you can disable News and Interests in Windows 10:

Method 1: Using the Taskbar Context Menu

This is the easiest and most direct way to turn off News and Interests. Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Right-click on any empty space on your taskbar. This will open the taskbar's context menu, giving you a range of options to customize your taskbar experience.
  2. Hover over the "News and interests" option in the menu. A submenu will appear with several choices related to the News and Interests feed.
  3. Select "Turn off". This will immediately remove the News and Interests icon from your taskbar, giving you a cleaner and less cluttered look. Poof! It's gone!

Method 2: Using Group Policy Editor (for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education)

If you're using a Pro, Enterprise, or Education version of Windows 10, you can use the Group Policy Editor for a more permanent solution. This is especially useful if you want to ensure that News and Interests stays disabled even after updates.

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box. This is a quick way to access various system tools and commands.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter. This command opens the Local Group Policy Editor, a powerful tool for configuring Windows settings.
  3. In the Group Policy Editor, navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > News and interests. This path will lead you to the specific settings for the News and Interests feature.
  4. Double-click on "Enable News and interests on the taskbar". This will open a new window where you can configure the behavior of the News and Interests feature.
  5. Select "Disabled" and click "Apply" then "OK". This setting will prevent the News and Interests feature from appearing on your taskbar. After applying the changes, you might need to restart your computer or simply restart the Explorer process for the changes to take effect. To restart Explorer, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager, find Windows Explorer in the list of processes, right-click on it, and select Restart.

Method 3: Using Registry Editor (for all Windows 10 versions)

If you're using Windows 10 Home or just prefer a more hands-on approach, you can use the Registry Editor to disable News and Interests. Be careful when using the Registry Editor, as incorrect changes can cause system instability. Always back up your registry before making any changes.

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter. This command opens the Registry Editor, a powerful tool for modifying Windows settings.
  3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Feeds. If the Feeds key doesn't exist, you'll need to create it.
  4. Right-click on the "Feeds" key (or create it if it doesn't exist), select "New", and then click "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
  5. Name the new value ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode.
  6. Double-click on ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode and set its value to 2. This value disables the News and Interests feature. Setting it to 0 enables the icon and text, while 1 only shows the icon.
  7. Restart your computer or the Explorer process for the changes to take effect. As mentioned earlier, you can restart Explorer through the Task Manager.

Customizing News and Interests

Okay, so maybe you don't want to completely get rid of News and Interests, but you'd like to tweak it a bit? No problem! Here’s how you can customize it:

Adjusting Content

  1. Click on the News and Interests icon on your taskbar. This will open the News and Interests panel, displaying the latest headlines and updates.
  2. Click on the "Manage interests" link at the top right of the panel. This will open a page in your default web browser where you can manage your interests and customize the content you see.
  3. On the "My interests" page, you can follow or unfollow various topics, publishers, and sources. This allows you to tailor the News and Interests feed to your specific preferences, ensuring that you only see content that's relevant to you. You can also search for specific topics or publishers to add them to your feed.
  4. Use the "My feed" section to further customize the content you see. Here, you can indicate whether you like or dislike certain articles, which helps the algorithm learn your preferences and deliver more relevant content in the future. You can also block specific publishers or sources if you don't want to see their content anymore.

Reducing Network Usage

News and Interests constantly updates in the background, which can consume network resources. If you're on a limited data plan, you might want to reduce its network usage.

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing Windows Key + I.
  2. Click on "Privacy". This section contains various privacy settings related to your Windows 10 experience.
  3. In the left sidebar, scroll down and click on "Background apps". This page lists all the apps that are allowed to run in the background.
  4. Scroll through the list and find "News and Interests". If you can't find it directly, look for apps that might be related to content delivery or news updates.
  5. Toggle the switch to "Off". This will prevent the News and Interests feature from running in the background, reducing its network usage. Keep in mind that this might also affect the frequency of updates and the freshness of the content you see.

Choosing Icon Only Mode

If you like having quick access to the weather but find the full News and Interests feed too distracting, you can switch to icon-only mode.

  1. Right-click on your taskbar.
  2. Hover over "News and interests".
  3. Select "Show icon only". This will display only the weather icon on your taskbar, without the news headlines or other information. It's a cleaner and less intrusive way to stay informed about the weather conditions in your area.

Re-enabling News and Interests

Changed your mind and want News and Interests back? No problem! Just follow these steps, depending on which method you used to disable it:

If you used the Taskbar Context Menu:

  1. Right-click on your taskbar.
  2. Hover over "News and interests".
  3. Select "Show icon and text" or "Show icon only", depending on your preference. This will bring the News and Interests icon back to your taskbar, displaying either the full feed or just the weather icon.

If you used Group Policy Editor:

  1. Open the Group Policy Editor by pressing Windows Key + R, typing gpedit.msc, and pressing Enter.
  2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > News and interests.
  3. Double-click on "Enable News and interests on the taskbar".
  4. Select "Enabled" or "Not Configured" and click "Apply" then "OK". This will re-enable the News and Interests feature. You might need to restart your computer or the Explorer process for the changes to take effect.

If you used Registry Editor:

  1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows Key + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter.
  2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Feeds.
  3. Double-click on ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode and set its value to 0 (for icon and text) or 1 (for icon only). Alternatively, you can delete the ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode value altogether, which will revert the setting to its default behavior.
  4. Restart your computer or the Explorer process for the changes to take effect.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You've learned how to disable, customize, and re-enable the News and Interests feature in Windows 10. Whether you wanted to declutter your taskbar, reduce network usage, or simply tailor the content to your liking, you now have the tools to do so. Remember, your Windows 10 experience should be exactly how you want it, and these steps allow you to take control and personalize your system to fit your needs. So go ahead, experiment with these settings and make your taskbar work for you! By following these simple steps, you can easily manage the News and Interests feature to suit your preferences and optimize your Windows 10 experience. Whether you choose to disable it completely, customize the content, or simply switch to icon-only mode, the choice is yours. Happy customizing!