Microsoft is testing a new build of Windows 11 that will let users uninstall even more of the apps that come pre-installed with the operating system (OS).
As spotted by The Verge, Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25931 adds the ability to uninstall the Photos, People, and Remote Desktop (MSTSC) apps. These join the ability to remove the Camera app, which has been in testing since March, and more recently, the ability to remove the now-defunct Cortana app.
Windows 11 comes with a fair number of pre-installed apps, which Microsoft calls ‘inbox apps.’ The company has been hard at work refreshing its existing inbox apps to better suit the updated visuals in Windows 11, as well as adding new apps to the suite. However, Microsoft’s efforts to make the apps removable are equally important since, in some cases, all these extra apps can feel like bloatware.
Moreover, many Windows users might have go-to apps that already fill the needs these Windows apps try to meet. Having the ability to pick, say, which photo app you use is a nice benefit rather than having two apps on your PC because you can’t uninstall one of them. Arguably, the ability to remove inbox apps means Microsoft will make better ones, as the pre-installed apps will have to be good enough to retain users.
The downside is that people not running test builds of Windows — i.e., most Windows users — will need to wait a while before they can actually uninstall these apps. Microsoft plans to release a big Windows 11 update in September, which may include the ability to remove apps as well as other new features the company has been working on, like native support for RAR and 7-Zip files and perhaps support for multiple high refresh rate monitors.
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