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Bitdefender Widget Disappeared After New UI Update

palomino

Hi,

Today after an update that completely changed Bitdefender's UI (which is awful btw), the security widget that was on my desktop is gone. Also when I right-click on the Bitdefender icon in the system tray some features are gone, I can no longer see the product information with the exact dates for the last product updates and engine version, now all I have is "Open" / "Connect to VPN" / "Update Now". The autopilot is also gone as well as its tiny logo that was on the Bitdefender icon in the tray, now the icon looks like a circle with a small 'B' inside that you can barely see.

I have Bitdefender Internet Security on Windows 11 and in the Windows settings I noticed under "Installed apps" that there are now 2 Bitdefender apps installed : "Bitdefender" and "Bitdefender Agent" with different icons, the old one for Bitdefender Agent and the new circle one for Bitdefender.

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Comments

Alexandru_BD

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your honest opinion here, and I appreciate your interest in the Security Widget.
The product developers' current focus is making the new Bitdefender app available to all users as this is not only a product redesign, but a significant change in how Bitdefender protects the digital life of each person, across their unique ecosystem and as their needs change, all in a unified experience.
Cybersecurity is no longer about protecting devices alone, but about protecting online identity, digital footprint, anti-scam defenses, privacy and more.
The protection has evolved, so this is not just a UI facelift, it's a new holistic approach to digital safety.

This also means that the Security Widget offering a device-level protection state only available to Windows devices is no longer enough. Of course, we would love to hear more about what you personally used and appreciated the Widget for, and as you continue using the new app, share more suggestions of what would be important for you to see and use in an accessible way. Any feedback is welcome.

Regards

Scott

@Alexandru_BD …."the Security Widget offering a device-level protection state" ..but it wasn't, isn't, just a device level protection state, it was, is a tool, and visual aide, no? Will there have to be another campaign, like before, to bring it back? Or, is it a "let's just get through this transition" and go from there?

Bitdefender Security Widget features.

Alexandru_BD

Cheers Scott,

Well, as the article explains, the Widget lets you see at a glance the product’s security status, so basically that's another way of saying that it's offering a device-level protection state, because in a nutshell, that's what it does.
It shows if you're protected or not, without actually having to open the Bitdefender UI, and also changes color when updates are taking place. It also gives you a glimpse on the count of new notifications in the product.
With the new UI and the changes introduced by it, the decision was made to drop this floating icon. Naturally, the developers are aware that this widget served as a convenient shortcut for a long time, and we both know that users were quick to react the last time it was removed.
The product teams are of course open to receiving feedback to determine whether this feature is still widely used or not in 2026, and to better understand the primary purposes for which it is used by customers. So I think there are a few questions that we need to ask here. Does it still bring any value, or is it obsolete? Do users generally know it exists, or not? How often do they use it, and if they do, is the floating method still convenient, or is it too intrusive?
If it was to make a comeback (again), would it keep the same shape and purpose, or can it be further improved or repositioned to address other security needs as well? So, to answer your question, I think we should first go through this transition, complete the migration to the new UI and we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Now, I can't promise anything, I have no insight on whether or not it will return in the near future given the new interface developments and architecture; however, for the time being, the developers are listening to user feedback regarding this change and assessing whether the widget still adds value to the product's daily use.

LVSTE

Dear Alexandru,

Thank you for your points, but I don't necessarily agree with them.

Saying " it's a new holistic approach to digital safety. This also means that the Security Widget offering a device-level protection state only available to Windows devices is no longer enough." is not conceptually correct. There is no balance of power between the software and its widget. The scope of the software evolving does not make the widget useless. As you wrote yourself, the widget has clear purposes: "in a nutshell… It shows if you're protected or not, without actually having to open the Bitdefender UI, and also changes color when updates are taking place. It also gives you a glimpse on the count of new notifications in the product." This is highly relevant for people who care. You want to add new features to it because, with its new scope, it might be useful. Great! Open that discussion instead.

By definition, if the widget were useless and insignificant, no one would use it. That's not the case. I find it presumptuous of the dev team to suppress it again, considering people strongly reacted when they did it the first time and asked for its reintroduction. It is important to keep in mind that there's a magic feature: an on/off button. So, why do developers think that their perspective is the universal reference? That is deeply wrong.

I would also argue that, at psychological level, it's a mistake. You are in the protection business, so for some people, it is reassuring to see you visually active and present. Even in terms of branding, being visually present is an asset.

So, questions like "Does it still bring value, or is it obsolete?" contradict your own statement about its purposes and are irrelevant. Questions like "Do users generally know it exists?" are not our responsibility as users; they are yours as a software company. Questions like "How often do they use it, and if they do" seem disconnected from the fact that people react every time you delete it. Asking "Is the floating method still convenient, or is it too intrusive?" is more meaningful because it focuses on optimizing the widget instead of making unfounded assumptions.

So, for me also, this morning was a disappointing surprise. If the main windows didn't change much, then personally, I find the new icon design quite cheap, and if I understand the concept of turning the shield into a human, the result is even cheaper, and at the end do not really fit.

And I take advantage of that discussion to raise that absurd fact: I'm using a 21-inch monitor, and the main window forces a scrollbar for just 1 cm (which is practically nothing) without giving me the option to enlarge the window itself... That's really a beginner's mistake.

Alexandru_BD

Noted! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback here.

palomino

The security widget was an integral part of my desktop; it was useful to get a quick update on the current state of my Bitdefender product and to check the number of notifications displayed on it.

Also I can not longer see the product information with exact timestamps for updates and engine version when right-clicking on the Bitdefender icon in the Windows system tray.

Scott

@LVSTE I agree with this, let alone your post as a whole.

"By definition, if the widget were useless and insignificant, no one would use it. That's not the case. I find it presumptuous of the dev team to suppress it again, considering people strongly reacted when they did it the first time and asked for its reintroduction. It is important to keep in mind that there's a magic feature: an on/off button. So, why do developers think that their perspective is the universal reference? That is deeply wrong".

@Alexandru_BD how would most people know that the Widget didn't exist, when the right click option shows it?

"Do users generally know it exists, or not"?

Maybe the new app was a restructuring, redesign challenge and the Widget was extra coding that may have been considered obsolete or unnecessary, but for many of us, that is not the case.

Cheers 😊

LVSTE

Me too. It’s been an integral part of my desktop ever since I first subscribed in 2014.

Come to think of it, what could be more natural than this widget? The concept of security—which has now even expanded from just the PC to the individual's digital world—is inseparable from the need of a dashboard. Here’s an analogy: what would be the point of installing surveillance cameras if you didn’t have screens to view the footage directly, and had to manually open an app every time to check that everything was okay? And for those who don't need that, there's always the “Hide” button.

Food for thought… 😊

Scott

And IMO, it's what helps set Bitdefender apart from other AV's. Even to the point in about 2013 where a Mod showed us a trick via a registry edit, to always have the Widget be on top. You could see it no matter what window was loaded. It wasn't for everybody, but again, it just showed how much the Widget meant to us.

LVSTE

Now that you've made me think of it, I'll continue.

In the context of a security app, trying to deny the need for a dashboard doesn't make any sense. Today, we have widgets for everything: the weather forecast, our agenda, music, and so on. A dashboard is integral to a security and integrity system. This is why, the discussion should focus instead on how to improve the widget, for which there are possibilities. Being against it is unwise and makes you part of one or more of these profiles: 1. You're too immature to understand the topic. 2. You are lazy. 3. You don't care about what you're doing or your customers' needs, and neither of those is very flattering…

The antivirus and security app market is very competitive today, and there is a greater need for these apps than ever before. I regularly read international benchmarks, and I have started to see that Windows Defender is qualified as sufficient. It's true that it has made a lot of progress. However, I still prefer Bitdefender. I have had a very positive experience with it for many years. It is efficient and well-built without being heavy on a decent configuration. Furthermore, Bitdefender regularly appears in the media as an authority in its market.

So, guys, if you want the best, then go for it! 😊

@Alexandru: Thank you for your reply , and your concern.

Scott

I agree with @LVSTE kind words @Alexandru_BD, thank you for your time and attention to this thread😊😊