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

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

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 lots of apps that Microsoft robotically installs that you simply 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 honest to say that not everybody wants a few of the default apps that include Home windows 11. Should 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 at all times uninstall, which you will wish to think about 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 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 effectively.

Once you seek for Copilot in your app record, you may additionally 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, preserve it. Nonetheless, in case you do not use any Microsoft Workplace apps and as an alternative use options like Google Docs and Google Sheets, it is value eliminating it. Should you ever wish to reinstall Copilot, you may simply accomplish that from the Microsoft Retailer.

Microsoft Groups

Should 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 staff. Personally, the corporate I work for would 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 associates or household, I often use different apps like Discord, WhatsApp, or FaceTime, so Groups is simply pointless. Should you’re in the same scenario and do not have a use case for Groups, uninstalling it’s a straightforward strategy 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 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 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 Move trials.

Since then, I have not had a compelling use case for it, and with the latest increase in the cost of Xbox Recreation Move Final and PC Recreation Move, it would not seem like I’ll within the close to future both. Should 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 report audio in your PC, akin to for a podcast or voice-over. Nonetheless, 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 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 in case you needn’t report 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 affords the identical inbox expertise you are aware of in your internet browser, simply in a devoted app. When you’ve got an Outlook or an outdated Hotmail e-mail, you would possibly discover it helpful. Nonetheless, I often entry my e-mail on my cellphone or by way of Google Chrome; due to this fact, I by no means felt the necessity to use the devoted Outlook app. Should 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 may need one other mail app value eliminating. Once I went to uninstall Outlook, I observed 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 can have two mail apps to uninstall, not only one, relying on how lengthy you have been utilizing Home windows 11.