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

Everybody personalizes their Windows PC in their very own means, and I favor to maintain mine as clear and minimal as potential. I conceal all my desktop icons, so my desktop at all times seems tidy, and my taskbar solely has essentially the most important apps pinned. Relating to apps, I solely maintain those I really use put in to maintain my PC as clutter-free as potential.

That mentioned, when you’ve simply gotten a brand new Home windows 11 PC, upgraded from Windows 10, or carried out a recent set up, there are various apps that Microsoft robotically installs that you just would possibly 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 number 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 cupboard space and assist maintain your PC clear. Listed here are 5 default Home windows 11 apps I at all times uninstall, which you’ll need 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 at all times do is uninstall Copilot, Microsoft’s AI chatbot. Whereas it could be helpful 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 nicely.

Whenever you seek for Copilot in your app listing, you might also discover one other model known as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which you may as well uninstall if you’d like. That is primarily 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, maintain it. Nevertheless, when 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 need to reinstall Copilot, you may simply achieve this from the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Groups

In case you use an alternate like Slack, you most likely do not want it

Microsoft Groups is a messaging and video conferencing app that many corporations use to deal with communication between workers. 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 often use different apps like Discord, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, so Groups is simply pointless. In case you’re in an identical state of affairs and do not have a use case for Groups, uninstalling it’s a simple method to liberate 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 best way 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 Sport Cross trials.

Since then, I have not had a compelling use case for it, and with the latest increase in the cost of Xbox Sport Cross Final and PC Sport Cross, it does not appear to be 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 identify suggests, you should utilize it to document audio in your PC, similar to for a podcast or voice-over. Nevertheless, I consider 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 alternative for me, and it could be for you too, particularly when you need not document your personal voice for something.

Outlook for Home windows

I favor to examine my e mail utilizing an online browser

I examine my e 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 gives 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 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. In case you’re in the identical boat, uninstalling Outlook may very well be worthwhile for you too.

Moreover, when 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 e mail app known 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 may have two mail apps to uninstall, not only one, relying on how lengthy you have been utilizing Home windows 11.