Hide desktop widgets on your Mac, or keep them in colour

Why it happens

Your Mac can show widgets like Weather, Calendar and Clock right on the desktop. When you click into an app, they fade to grey so they don't distract from your work. Both the widgets and the fading are controlled in the Widgets part of Desktop & Dock.

How to fix it

1. Open System Settings from the Apple menu and click Desktop & Dock. Scroll down to Widgets.

2. Next to Show Widgets, untick On Desktop. All widgets leave the desktop, but they aren't deleted.

   Desktop & Dock›Widgets›Show Widgets

3. Rather keep them in full colour? Leave On Desktop ticked and set Dim widgets on desktop to Never.

   Desktop & Dock›Widgets

4. To remove just one widget, Control-click it on the desktop and choose Remove Widget.

5. To add widgets, Control-click an empty part of the desktop and choose Edit Widgets. Drag the ones you want onto the desktop and click Done.

Still not fixed?

1. Widgets came back? Check On Desktop is still unticked. Widgets you added stay hidden, not removed, so they return when you tick it again.

2. To change a widget's size, Control-click it and choose a size such as Small, Medium or Large.

3. If a weather widget shows no data, check your Mac is online and that Weather is allowed to use your location in Privacy & Security, under Location Services.

4. Widgets missing after an update often return after a restart. Then check Show Widgets again.

5. If widgets stay blank or frozen after a restart and the latest macOS update, contact Apple Support for help.