Windows 11 allows the removal of built-in apps
Microsoft allows Windows 11 users to uninstall more built-in apps soon, as the company has started testing a new version of the operating system with Canary Channel testers that includes the ability to uninstall the Camera app, Cortana app, and the Photos app (coming soon for Windows 10 users), and people application, and the MSTSC remote desktop client.
Those who don't need some built-in software can right-click on it and choose Uninstall to make the Start Menu cleaner without using funky methods like WinGet or third-party uninstallers.
Microsoft ships a large number of these pre-installed apps with Windows 11. The company has gradually allowed users to uninstall more of them, so most of them can be removed freely.
Most of these built-in apps are small in size, so uninstalling them won't save much space, but having the option to uninstall them entirely should make Windows less confusing.
The ability to uninstall the Camera app has been part of Windows 11 test builds since March, while the option to uninstall Cortana was available with test builds released earlier this month.
These changes don't affect system apps, many of which are now marked as a system app, but at least it's now easier to get rid of things you don't need or want to see.
OS users who are not running Windows Insider editions need to wait a while to be able to uninstall the Camera, Cortana, Photos, People, and MSTSC remote desktop client apps.
Microsoft is currently planning to release the next big Windows 11 update in September, which may include more uninstall options.
The September update is also expected to include native support for RAR and 7-Zip files, a new Settings home page, a much better sound mixer, and early access to the Windows Copilot AI assistant.
Other changes in the new release under the Canary Channel include more fields in the updated File Explorer details pane, the ability to sync Windows accent color with dynamic lighting-compatible mice and keyboards, new emoji, and more.