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How do I delete Mac Dashboard widgets?

On my iMac running Mac OS X i downloaded some widgets for the dashboard but i dont like 4 of them i wondered if you know how to delets them not just disable them?

Dave's Answer:

It's not as easy as it could be to delete widgets in Dashboard, I admit, but it's doable, at least for those widgets you have downloaded.

First up, you need to get Dashboard running, which you can do easily by pressing f12 on your keyboard. It zooms into view and on the lower left there's a "+" button:

Once you've clicked on that, a strip appears on the bottom with all the widgets shown. That's not what you're interested in, however! Instead, notice that just to the left of the now-rotated "X" button is another button labeled "Manage Widgets...", as shown here:

Mac OS X: Dashboard Control: Manage Widgets

Click on that and you'll see a new Dashboard widget ooze into visibility:

Now, scroll down to find the first of the four widgets you want to delete and you should see a small red circle adjacent, as appears adjacent to the Breakout game in my screenshot.

Click on it and, surprise, you can actually delete the widget entirely:

Mac OS X: Dashboard Control: Delete Widget

If you're ready to eliminate the widget completely from your Dashboard environment and Macintosh, simply click on "OK" and *poof*, it's gone!

While we're talking about it, also note the link "More Widgets..." and make sure you spend a few minutes clicking on it and checking out the extensive library Apple has assembled. There's lots of great stuff to dig up.

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Categorized: Mac OS X Help (Article 7147)
Tagged: dashboard, dashboard widgets, mac os x
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Comments

My dashboard is displaying three copies of the weather widget. How can I delete the extra ones and just keep one?

Posted by: jonathan at December 21, 2007 10:57 AM

thanks.... i finally get the chance to delete all the junks on my dashboard... and i also find out there are more stuffs on the dashboard.... cool... :)

Posted by: tenny at June 4, 2008 4:17 AM

How i can connet Hot spot shield in my apple mac pro ?
When i am try to connect its showing "Waiting for server"
It was connected with my macpro. Pls advise me

Posted by: kareem at July 20, 2008 3:12 AM

I needed to remove a widget and your advise was perfectly worded and I followed it and was sucessful

thanks

Posted by: John at November 21, 2008 10:44 PM

Thanks Dave for your useful information!

However, you did not tell us what we can do to remove the Mac Dashboards widgets that were pre-installed and not downloaded from us... Thank you in advance for your answer!

Posted by: LEONIDAS at March 29, 2009 8:26 AM

Great great help!!!! Thank you!!

Posted by: Laura Hernandez at May 14, 2009 7:00 PM

Thanks for the information!! It was a great help.

Posted by: Kendra at June 3, 2009 10:43 AM

hi dave,

could u please help me this dash board problem,

i run the dashboard in my macbook, but could not exit. And it is taking lotta time to work in other program as well since the mac book is running. and the voice message is running whenever i use other programmes as well, could u please advice how to uninstall dashboard or quit dashboard
thanks

Posted by: ashim at June 17, 2009 10:05 PM

Great help Dude, thanks, this resolved my trouble here.

TDL

Posted by: The Dark Lord at June 20, 2009 1:18 AM

This explanation did not work for me at all. Even the widgets I just downloaded don't have the delete button next to them. Perhaps this explanation is specific to a particular version of OS X? I'm running 10.4.11.

Posted by: Kenneth at October 10, 2009 10:01 AM

yo dave i NEED HELP

i opened a video in my dash board and i cant get rid of it because it is invisible. CAN YOU HELP ME!!!

Posted by: bob at November 8, 2009 2:46 PM

thanks man that helped heaps

Posted by: Grubby at January 7, 2010 5:18 PM

Thanks! Very helpful. You're a star.

Posted by: danielle at January 13, 2010 9:59 AM

Thanks Dave! Your explanation is great, I followed it and did sort my problem on dashboard!

Keep it up Doc.!

Jessica

Posted by: Jessica Lee at February 2, 2010 7:55 PM

thnx helped so much!!! this game would always annoy me by making that stupid sound

Posted by: vlad at March 5, 2010 9:26 AM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!