This is a full vertical sidebar, about 400–500px wide, with a profile header, a search bar, a list of recent chats, and a "Meet" button to start a video call. It uses the same acrylic/Mica material and dark/light theme support. The sidebar can be detached into a standalone window, which is unique among these seven panels.
Microsoft has been slow to embrace the sidebar, preferring the centered, minimalist approach. However, user demand for quick information retrieval (weather, calendar, stocks) has forced the company to evolve. The outlined above prove that Windows 11 is more modular than it looks.
was a social media feed, muted and filtered. A blur of faces he used to know, vacations he didn't take, and laughter he couldn't hear. It was his ghost. It reminded him that while he was mastering the machine, the world was moving on without him. 7 sidebar windows 11
One of the most powerful sidebar-like features is the clipboard history (enable it in Settings > System > Clipboard). When you press Win + V , a small panel appears showing your last 25 copied items (text, HTML, images). You can pin frequently used items, delete them, and sync across devices. This panel remains open until you close it, acting like a persistent data sidebar for copy-paste workflows.
The modern spiritual successor to the Windows 7 sidebar is the . This is a full vertical sidebar, about 400–500px
Windows 11 has replaced the old static sidebar gadgets with a series of dynamic, context-sensitive panels that slide in when needed. While some users lament the loss of always-visible desktop sidebars, the seven interfaces above—especially the Widgets Board, Clipboard History, and Teams Chat—provide modern, touch-friendly, and space-efficient alternatives.
For developers and power users, the new "sidebar" isn't about clocks—it's about tools. While not a literal sidebar, apps like (specifically the "Always on Top" feature) allow you to pin windows to create a pseudo-sidebar experience for notes or calculations. Microsoft has been slow to embrace the sidebar,
explains why the sidebar was originally phased out in favor of desktop-hosted gadgets and eventually "Live Tiles" and "Widgets". Comparison Literature:
If you want the functionality of a sidebar without the bloat, Winstep Nexus allows
For users who miss the transparency and desktop-anchored feel of Windows 7 gadgets, third-party software is the most effective route. 8GadgetsPack: Restore the Windows Sidebar in Windows 11