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

Everybody personalizes their Windows PC in their very own manner, and I choose to maintain mine as clear and minimal as potential. I conceal all my desktop icons, so my desktop all the time appears to be like tidy, and my taskbar solely has essentially the most important apps pinned. On the subject of apps, I solely hold those I truly use put in to maintain my PC as clutter-free as potential.

That stated, should you’ve simply gotten a brand new Home windows 11 PC, upgraded from Windows 10, or carried out a recent set up, there are numerous apps that Microsoft routinely 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 honest to say that not everybody wants a few of the default apps that include Home windows 11. In case you’re not utilizing them, I like to recommend uninstalling them to save lots of space for storing and assist hold your PC clear. Listed here are 5 default Home windows 11 apps I all the time uninstall, which you’ll wish to take into account 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 house. Fortunately, Microsoft has made uninstalling Copilot surprisingly straightforward. 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 properly.

Once you seek for Copilot in your app record, you might also discover one other model referred to as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which you may also uninstall in order for you. 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, hold it. Nonetheless, should you do not use any Microsoft Workplace apps and as a substitute use alternate options like Google Docs and Google Sheets, it is price eliminating it. In case you ever wish to reinstall Copilot, you may simply achieve this from the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Groups

In case you use another like Slack, you in all probability do not want it

Microsoft Groups is a messaging and video conferencing app that many corporations use to deal with communication between staff. Personally, the corporate I work for does not use Microsoft Groups and depends on alternate 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 associates or household, I normally use different apps like Discord, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, so Groups is simply pointless. In case you’re in an identical scenario and do not have a use case for Groups, uninstalling it’s a straightforward approach to release house and tidy up your PC’s app record.

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 few times, and that was when Microsoft was providing these $1 PC Recreation Go trials.

Since then, I have never had a compelling use case for it, and with the latest increase in the cost of Xbox Recreation Go Final and PC Recreation Go, it does not appear like I’ll within the close to future both. In case you 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 straightforward uninstall.

Sound Recorder

Audacity is best and free

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

Outlook for Home windows

I choose to examine my electronic mail utilizing an online browser

I examine my electronic 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 previous Hotmail electronic mail, you would possibly discover it helpful. Nonetheless, I normally entry my electronic mail on my telephone or by means of Google Chrome; subsequently, I by no means felt the necessity to use the devoted Outlook app. In case you’re in the identical boat, uninstalling Outlook might be worthwhile for you too.

Moreover, should you put in Home windows 11 some time in the past, you may need one other mail app price eliminating. After I went to uninstall Outlook, I seen I additionally had an older Home windows electronic 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 may have two mail apps to uninstall, not only one, relying on how lengthy you’ve got been utilizing Home windows 11.