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 doable. 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 relation to apps, I solely preserve those I really use put in to maintain my PC as clutter-free as doable.

That mentioned, in case 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 mechanically installs that you just may by no means use or just don’t need. I would not go as far as to name them bloatware, however I feel it is truthful to say that not everybody wants a few of the default apps that include Home windows 11. When you’re not utilizing them, I like to recommend uninstalling them to save lots of space for storing and assist preserve your PC clear. Listed here are 5 default Home windows 11 apps I all the time uninstall, which you’ll wish to contemplate too.

Microsoft Copilot

I like my Home windows expertise AI-free

Over the previous 12 months, 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 could 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 must 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 nicely.

Once you seek for Copilot in your app listing, you might also discover one other model referred to as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which you may as well uninstall if you would like. 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, in case you do not use any Microsoft Workplace apps and as a substitute use options like Google Docs and Google Sheets, it is value eliminating it. When you ever wish to reinstall Copilot, you’ll be able to simply achieve this from the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Groups

When you use an alternate 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 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 pals or household, I often use different apps like Discord, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, so Groups is simply pointless. When you’re in an identical scenario and haven’t got a use case for Groups, uninstalling it’s a straightforward solution to release house and tidy up your PC’s app listing.

The Xbox app

Sorry Microsoft, Steam is the house of PC gaming

I really like enjoying 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 Move trials.

Since then, I have never had a compelling use case for it, and with the current increase in the cost of Xbox Sport Move Final and PC Sport Move, it does not seem like I’ll within the close to future both. When 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 healthier and free

Sound Recorder is a pre-installed app in Home windows 11, and because the title suggests, you should use it to document 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 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 is perhaps for you too, particularly in case you need not document your personal voice for something.

Outlook for Home windows

I want to test my electronic mail utilizing an internet browser

I test my electronic mail always 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. You probably have an Outlook or an previous Hotmail electronic mail, you may discover it helpful. Nevertheless, I often entry my electronic mail on my telephone or by means of Google Chrome; due to this fact, I by no means felt the necessity to use the devoted Outlook app. When you’re in the identical boat, uninstalling Outlook may very well be worthwhile for you too.

Moreover, in case you put in Home windows 11 some time in the past, you might need one other mail app value eliminating. After I went to uninstall Outlook, I observed I additionally had an older Home windows electronic mail app referred to as Mail and Calendar put in. Microsoft really discontinued this app final 12 months in favor of the Outlook for Home windows app, so you would have two mail apps to uninstall, not only one, relying on how lengthy you’ve got been utilizing Home windows 11.