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

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

That mentioned, in case you’ve simply gotten a brand new Home windows 11 PC, upgraded from Windows 10, or carried out a contemporary set up, there are numerous apps that Microsoft robotically installs that you just 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 a number of the default apps that include Home windows 11. If you happen to’re not utilizing them, I like to recommend uninstalling them to save lots of cupboard space and assist maintain your PC clear. Listed below are 5 default Home windows 11 apps I at all times uninstall, which you’ll 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 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 area. Fortunately, Microsoft has made uninstalling Copilot surprisingly simple. 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.

If you seek for Copilot in your app listing, you may additionally discover one other model referred to as Microsoft 365 Copilot, which you can too 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, maintain it. Nevertheless, in case 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. If you happen to ever wish to reinstall Copilot, you may simply accomplish that from the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Groups

If you happen to use another 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 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 buddies or household, I normally use different apps like Discord, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, so Groups is simply pointless. If you happen to’re in the same scenario and do not have a use case for Groups, uninstalling it’s a straightforward method to unencumber area and tidy up your PC’s app listing.

The Xbox app

Sorry Microsoft, Steam is the house of PC gaming

I really like taking part in video games on my PC in my free time, however the Xbox app is not the best way I do it. Like many PC avid gamers, 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 not 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 to be 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 title suggests, you should utilize it to file audio in your PC, equivalent 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 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 is perhaps for you too, particularly in case you need not file your personal voice for something.

Outlook for Home windows

I desire to examine my e mail utilizing an internet 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 provides the identical inbox expertise you are accustomed to in your net browser, simply in a devoted app. When you have an Outlook or an outdated Hotmail e mail, you would possibly discover it helpful. Nevertheless, I normally entry my e mail on my telephone or by way of 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 may very well be worthwhile for you too.

Moreover, in case you put in Home windows 11 some time in the past, you may need one other mail app price eliminating. Once I went to uninstall Outlook, I observed 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 can have two mail apps to uninstall, not only one, relying on how lengthy you’ve got been utilizing Home windows 11.