5 Home windows 11 apps I uninstall for a cleaner, smoother expertise

Everybody personalizes their Windows PC in their very own method, and I want to maintain mine as clear and minimal as attainable. I conceal all my desktop icons, so my desktop all the time appears tidy, and my taskbar solely has essentially the most important apps pinned. In terms of apps, I solely preserve those I truly use put in to maintain my PC as clutter-free as attainable.

That stated, if you happen to’ve simply gotten a brand new Home windows 11 PC, upgraded from Windows 10, or carried out a recent set up, there are lots of apps that Microsoft mechanically installs that you simply would possibly by no means use or just don’t desire. I would not go as far as to name them bloatware, however I feel it is truthful to say that not everybody wants among the default apps that include Home windows 11. If you happen to’re not utilizing them, I like to recommend uninstalling them to avoid wasting space for storing and assist preserve your PC clear. Listed below are 5 default Home windows 11 apps I all the time uninstall, which you will wish to think about too.

Microsoft Copilot

I like my Home windows expertise AI-free

Over the previous yr, I’ve needed to arrange a number of new Home windows PCs, and one of many first issues I all the time do is uninstall Copilot, Microsoft’s AI chatbot. Whereas it might be useful relying in your workflow, I by no means discover myself utilizing it, because it simply takes up pointless area. Fortunately, Microsoft has made uninstalling Copilot surprisingly simple. All you need to do is go to Settings > Apps > Copilot > then click on the three dots subsequent to Copilot and choose Uninstall. The identical uninstall course of applies to the remainder of the apps talked about on this story as effectively.

Once you seek for Copilot in your app checklist, you might also discover one other model referred to as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which you may also uninstall if you need. That is basically a model of Copilot built-in with apps like Microsoft Phrase and Excel. If you wish to use AI in these apps, by all means, preserve it. Nevertheless, if you happen to do not use any Microsoft Workplace apps and as an alternative use options like Google Docs and Google Sheets, it is value eliminating it. If you happen to ever wish to reinstall Copilot, you’ll be able to simply achieve this from the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Groups

If you happen to use an alternate like Slack, you most likely do not want it

Microsoft Groups is a messaging and video conferencing app that many firms use to deal with communication between staff. Personally, the corporate I work for does not use Microsoft Groups and depends on options like Slack and Google Meet, so I’ve by no means had to make use of it.

Moreover, for private video calls and messaging with buddies or household, I often use different apps like Discord, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, so Groups is simply pointless. If you happen to’re in an identical state of affairs and do not have a use case for Groups, uninstalling it’s a straightforward approach to release area and tidy up your PC’s app checklist.

The Xbox app

Sorry Microsoft, Steam is the house of PC gaming

I like taking part in video games on my PC in my free time, however the Xbox app is not the way in which I do it. Like many PC players, I depend on Steam, which I have been utilizing for over a decade. I’ve solely ever used the Xbox app a couple of times, and that was when Microsoft was providing these $1 PC Sport Cross trials.

Since then, I have not had a compelling use case for it, and with the current increase in the cost of Xbox Sport Cross Final and PC Sport Cross, it does not appear like I’ll within the close to future both. If you happen to do not play video games in your PC or rely solely on different platforms like Steam and Epic Video games for all of your gaming wants, the Xbox app is one other simple uninstall.

Sound Recorder

Audacity is best and free

Sound Recorder is a pre-installed app in Home windows 11, and because the identify suggests, you should use it to report audio in your PC, akin to for a podcast or voice-over. Nevertheless, I imagine that Sound Recorder has very restricted options for audio recording, and there are different apps that deal with each recording and modifying audio significantly better. Audacity is my private favourite, and it is free. With that in thoughts, uninstalling Sound Recorder was an apparent alternative for me, and it may be for you too, particularly if you happen to needn’t report your individual voice for something.

Outlook for Home windows

I want to verify my e mail utilizing an online browser

I verify my e mail consistently whereas utilizing my PC, however I do not use the Outlook app for Home windows for that. The Outlook app for Home windows affords the identical inbox expertise you are accustomed to in your internet browser, simply in a devoted app. If in case you have an Outlook or an outdated Hotmail e mail, you would possibly discover it helpful. Nevertheless, I often entry my e mail on my cellphone or via Google Chrome; subsequently, I by no means felt the necessity to use the devoted Outlook app. If you happen to’re in the identical boat, uninstalling Outlook might be worthwhile for you too.

Moreover, if you happen to put in Home windows 11 some time in the past, you might need one other mail app value eliminating. Once I went to uninstall Outlook, I seen I additionally had an older Home windows e mail app referred to as Mail and Calendar put in. Microsoft truly discontinued this app final yr in favor of the Outlook for Home windows app, so you might have two mail apps to uninstall, not only one, relying on how lengthy you have been utilizing Home windows 11.