Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Windows 11 might finally reverse course on preinstalled applications

Fionna Agomuoh
By

Microsoft is testing the ability to allow users to uninstall various preinstalled applications from its operating systems to make way for third-party apps and modern updates of older programs.

The brand recently began rolling out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23585, which will allow applicable users to uninstall a range of apps from Windows 10 and Windows 11. Microsoft detailed on its Windows Insider Blog that the Insider Preview Build update will allow users to uninstall the Camera app, Cortana, Photos app, People app, and Remote Desktop (MSTSC) client without needing extra tools.

Windows 11 set up on a computer.
Microsoft

Notably, as a Windows 11 Insider build update, this is an exclusive rollout for those who have registered as Windows 11 Insiders to test software ahead of it potentially being released to the public. However, this gives an idea of what Microsoft could have in mind for future updates. There’s no guarantee, however, that this will be an actual Windows feature.

Recommended Videos

Windows Central noted that the Cortana app was depreciated to end-of-life status in August and no longer works on Windows. It would likely be scrubbed from the system in a future update anyway. Microsoft has plans to install its AI assistant Copilot as Cortana’s replacement. There’s a good argument for the ability to manually uninstall features that no longer work rather than having to wait for another update to get rid of them. Microsoft also depreciated the 30-year-old WordPad application in September, which will also remain on devices until it is removed in a future update.

Related

XDA Developers suggested that being able to remove default applications from the system easily will afford users the space to install their preferred third-party apps instead. Last year, Microsoft began to spruce up its app store, first by bringing some of its own applications, such as Microsoft Teams, to the marketplace. Then it made the app store more compatible with third-party developers by ending the waitlist program for Win32 apps in the Microsoft Store.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh
Computing Writer
Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…
If you have an AMD GPU, stay away from the latest Windows Update
Two AMD Radeon RX 7000 graphics cards on a pink surface.

A quick PSA: If you own one of AMD's best graphics cards and you like to tweak the settings, now is not a good time to download the latest Windows Update. According to users on the AMD forums, the KB5030310 update really doesn't agree with AMD's Adrenalin Control Panel. While it's not the end of the world, this isn't the first Windows update in the last few months that has caused problems.

It appears that every time people restart their PCs, their Adrenalin settings are all reset back to default. This means that any changes made to things like AMD's Anti-Lag or Hyper RX will disappear upon every boot. Fortunately, the graphics driver itself is unaffected.

Read more
Windows 11 is turning into Windows 12 right in front of us
Windows 11 set up on a computer.

Windows 12 is already upon us. Microsoft hasn't released the new operating system yet, or even formally announced it, but Microsoft's September 2023 event made it clear that recent updates to Windows 11 are laying the foundation for the next iteration of the OS.

A significant portion of the presentation focused on the upcoming AI assistant that is set to "revolutionize" the way you use Windows. A new update is now available for Windows 11 that adds Copilot to the OS. Copilot is said to be an everyday AI companion that provides assistance by uniquely integrating information from the internet, your work-related data, and your current PC tasks. It offers a range of AI features to numerous default apps by collecting data from your calendar, email, documents, and more to assist in quick text and email composition.

Read more
I saw the AI future of Windows 11, and it blew me away
Microsoft Copilot allows you to ask an AI assistant questions within Office apps.

I don't blame you if you're fed up with all of the AI talk. It started with ChatGPT, it moved to Bing Chat, and now you can't open up Apple News without a deluge of AI news. It's overwhelming. And now, Microsoft wants you to use AI as an assistant throughout all of Windows 11. No thanks.

Call me a cynic, but I pushed back. Bing Chat following me around Windows 11 didn't sound like a good time, but I swallowed my pride, decided to do my job as a tech journalist, and kindly asked what it could do at Microsoft's September 2023 event. And Windows Copilot blew me away.

Read more