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. Indeed, if you're testing the latest builds of Windows 11, you can try out the new Messenger widget from Facebook, making your conversations more easily accessible on the Widgets board. We've previously covered how to use Widgets in general, but if you want to know how to use the new Messenger widget, we're here to help.

The process is actually fairly straightforward. The only requirements are that you have a recent Windows 11 build in the Dev channel of the Insider program, and that you install the latest version of the Messenger app on the Microsoft Store. You can read more about Windows Insider channels here, but once you're in the Dev channel, follow these steps:

1. Install the Messenger app from the Microsoft Store.
   • If you already have the app, make sure you have the latest version by heading to the Library section of the Microsoft Store and clicking Get updates.

     

2. Open the Messenger app and sign into your account (if you haven't already).
3. Open the Widgets panel by pressing Windows + W on your keyboard, or move your mouse over the Widgets button in the bottom left corner of the screen.
4. Click the + (plus) icon near the top-right corner of the Widgets panel to add a new widget.

   

5. You should see the Messenger widget as an option. Click it to add it to your board.

   

6. The Messenger widget will now be on your board, next to your other widgets. The default size will show your four most recent conversations.

   

7. Click any of the conversations to open that chat in the Messenger app.
8. You can resize the widget by clicking the three dots near the top right corner and choosing Small, Medium, or Large. You can also move the widget to your preferred position by clicking the title bar and dragging it around.

That's all there is to it. The widget doesn't allow you to directly message 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. That said, this is just the initial version of it, so it's possible we'll see more capabilities added in the future. if you want to learn more about Insider features, we have an ongoing list of all the Windows 11 features available in preview.