There are over two dozen preinstalled apps in Windows 10. Mail, Calendar, Photos, Edge, Sticky Notes, and Your Phone are some of the popular apps offered with Windows 10.
As you are likely aware, most of these default or preinstalled apps cannot be uninstalled via Settings or Start menu. We need to either use the PowerShell or use third-party tools to uninstall default apps.
Not all users use all the preinstalled apps. Some of the preinstalled apps are not up to the mark as well. So, users might want to uninstall apps that they don’t use to free up some disk space. Given that any app can be removed via PowerShell and a fresh copy of the app can always be installed from the Store, Windows 10 should allow uninstalling preinstalled apps.
In Windows 10 October 2018 Update and prior versions, we could uninstall only Weather, Print 3D, Tips, Skype, OneNote, Microsoft Solitaire Collection and My Office apps. The Settings app would not allow us to uninstall other default apps.
Luckily, starting with build 18262 (19H1), a few more preinstalled apps can be uninstalled right from the Start menu or Settings app. You can now uninstall 3D Viewer, Calendar, Calculator, Mail, Groove Music, Movies & TV, Paint 3D, Voice Recorder, Snip & Sketch, and Sticky Notes. This means that most of the preinstalled apps can now be uninstalled from Windows 10 without the help of PowerShell or third-party uninstallers.
Uninstall preinstalled apps via the Start menu
Step 1: Search for the app that you are looking to uninstall using the Start/taskbar search.
Step 2: When you see the app’s entry in search results, right-click on it and then click Uninstall. If the Uninstall option doesn’t show up, it’s likely because Windows 10 doesn’t allow uninstalling that app. As said earlier, most of the preinstalled apps can now be uninstalled via Start or Settings, but not all of them can be uninstalled.
To remove the app, refer to our three free tools to uninstall default apps from Windows 10 article to easily uninstall the app you want to get rid of.
Uninstall preinstalled apps via Settings app
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Navigate to Apps > Apps & features.
Step 2: Look for the app you want to uninstall and then click on it to see the hidden Uninstall button.
Step 3: Click on the Uninstall button and then click Uninstall again when you see the confirmation to remove the app.
How to reinstall Store and other preinstalled apps in Windows 10 guide might also interest you.
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