Removing unwanted widgets

By rachel, 27 September, 2025

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hi all. I've just updated my Mac to Mac OS26, and i notice several random widgets have appeared on my desktop screen (the one that's there just after logging in) that were not there before the update. Although some may find these random photo and calendar widgets useful, i personally find them a nuisance. How do i go about removing them please, relying solely on voiceover? I can't find anything obvious to me. Thanks in advance.

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Comments

By Bruce Harrell on Saturday, September 27, 2025 - 18:31

but all I can think of is:

1. right clicking on the widgit to be removed to see if there's a delete or remove option; or,

2. Copy and paste the widgit into your VoiceOver pronunciation dictionary to be read with silence.

Good luck!

Bruce

By Khomus on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 01:52

If you use VO and the arrows to highlight a widget, there is indeed a "remove widget" option, if you use VO-m-m. However, it doesn't seem to do anything, and if you use VO and the arrows, you seem to get multiples of a widget, e.g. I get "batteries" showing up multiple times. Starting at the leftmost thing on my desktop, I get an mp3 file, an app, Weather Gods widget, batteries, Macintosh HD, another drive, batteries twice, another drive, calendar, batteries, weather gods, clock news, stocks, and batteries three more times.

I don't notice this too much because I normally just use the arrows on the desktop, but I have been using the batteries widget, since I found that it was on the desktop. I only noticed all the extra widgets and duplicates today after reading this post and checking to see if there was a remove widget option in the right click menu. So I don't really know what's going or how to fix it.

By Tyler on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 04:35

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

When focusing on a widget, there should be a "Remove" option in the context menu (accessed by pressing VO-Shift-M) that should work to remove it from the Desktop.

By Khomus on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 15:26

That's what I meant with the right click thingy. They're still there when I do that, but you only see them if you navigate with VO and arrows, at least, that's the only way I see them.

By Khomus on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 15:35

OK, APPARENTLY I LIED. IT DOES WORK. THE REASON I DIDN'T THINK IT DID WAS BECAUSE THERE WERE A TON OF DUPLICATES. SO YOU HAVE TO REMOVE IT, AND THEN WAIT A SECOND, BECAUSE IT PUTS YOU BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DESKTOP. SOMETIMES IF YOU DON'T WAIT IT WILL LOOK LIKE IT'S ON ANOTHER WIDGET, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY ON SOMETHING ELSE. SO AS USUAL, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

ACTUALLY, I SHOULD BE SPECIFIC. RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THE EXTRA WIDGETS ARE REMOVED, AND ALL I HAVE IS THE BATTERIES WIDGET. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THAT WILL STAY AROUND OR NOT. I DID TELL IT TO ADD BATTERIES TO THE DESKTOP. I DON'T KNOW WHERE ALL THE OTHER WIDGETS, LET ALONE ALL OF THE DUPLICATES, CAME FROM.

By rachel on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 16:29

Ok it's not working for me with right click, as tyler suggested. If i focus on a widget, right click (VO shift M), and arrow down through there are no options to remove the widgets off my desktop. I can't comment on duplicates because i don't have any - just camera, calendar and weather widgets which i want rid of nevertheless.

By rachel on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 16:34

Sorry. Ignore my last update: i didn't realise i had to use VO plus arrow keys once i right clicked. I've removed them.

By Ines on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 21:03

Unfortunately, for me it’s not that simple, and the context menu — that is, VO + Shift + M — doesn’t work for widgets. In fact, in some parts of the system, the context menu doesn’t work that way at all. The only, best, and fastest solution then is to bring the mouse cursor to the VoiceOver cursor using the shortcut VO + Cmd + F5, and then press the Ctrl + trackpad shortcut. Only then does the context menu appear for me. Even back when I was on the betas of the new system, this was the only method that worked. Simulating a right-click didn’t work at all. Now it works, but for me the more convenient method is still Ctrl + trackpad. That’s the most reliable way for me.
I even made a guide on how to deal with this, because for a few people around me, the context menu with VO + Shift + M also doesn’t work.
Overall, some really strange things are happening for me on this new system. For the first time, I regret installing it so quickly.

By rachel on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 21:18

Ok for the benefit of someone who only very occasionly uses the track pad for the simple fact i'm forever knocking it when doing other things, what shortcut are you referring to. I managed to get rid of one widget with VO shift M but just cannot get rid of the other two. I don't give up easily but it's getting to the point of having to get my sighted friend (an ex i.t teacher) to bring some sort of order back to my desktop screen. I too regret updating so early.

By Ines on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 21:36

This shortcut is like the equivalent of invoking the context menu by pressing the right mouse button. That’s how sighted people usually do it. As for pressing the trackpad once, for us it’s like pressing VO + Shift + Space. That’s how we simulate a mouse click, exactly as sighted people do. However, sometimes simulating a mouse click doesn’t work. The same goes for the context menu — simulating a right-click doesn’t always work.
However, if we have a trackpad, pressing Ctrl and then tapping the trackpad once makes the context menu work. There is also no default shortcut for simulating a right-click to open the context menu; you have to add one. I don’t see the need for that, though, because the Ctrl + single tap on the trackpad shortcut is more reliable and actually quite simple to perform. I hope I haven’t made this too confusing.

By rachel on Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 22:08

Thanks. Despite the observations you make, VO command F5 then right click (VO shift M) has allowed me to remove them, then i've gone in system settings as my friend has instructed and unchecked the various options relating to widgets in the desktop and dock section.