Want to quickly and easily uninstall unnecessary default Microsoft Store apps in Windows 11? Here’s how to do it using Group Policy Editor.
By default, Windows 11 installs several Microsoft apps. These include, but are not limited to, Xbox, Feedback Hub, Sticky Notes, Copilot, Teams, Quick Assist, Calculator, Snipping Tool, Camera, and more. While some of these apps are useful, several others are simply bloatware you don’t want or need. Generally, you’d have to use a PowerShell command to remove the bloatware Microsoft Store apps. However, with the recent updates, Microsoft added a new group policy that makes uninstalling the default Microsoft apps in Windows 11 easy. All you have to do is enable the policy, select the apps you want to remove, and you are done.
In this quick guide, I will show you the steps to remove default Microsoft Store apps in Windows 11 using the Group Policy Editor. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Group Policy Editor is only available in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
- You require administrator rights to modify the group policies.
Use Group Policy Editor to Uninstall Default Microsoft Store Apps
- Press “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog.
- Type “gpedit.msc” and click “OK“.
- Go to the “Computer Configuration” > “Administrative Templates” folder.
- Go to the “Windows Components” > “App Package Deployment” folder.
- Double-click the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages from the system” policy.
- Select the “Enabled” option.
- Select the apps you want to remove and click “OK“.
- With that, you’ve removed the unwanted default Microsoft Store apps.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, we must open the Group Policy Editor tool. To do that, open the Run dialog by pressing the “Windows key + R” shortcut, type “gpedit.msc“, and click “OK“. Alternatively, you can also search for “Edit Group Policy” and click “Open”. If you see the UAC prompt, click “Yes” to continue.
Once the Group Policy Editor tool opens, go to the following folder.
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Package Deployment
On the right panel, find and double-click the “Remove Default Microsoft Store packages from the system” policy. This is the policy that lets you remove default Microsoft Store apps from Windows 11.
The above action opens a new window where you can modify the policy. Here, select the “Enabled” option. After that, select the apps you want to remove from the list under the “Options” section.
Next, click the “OK” button.
Finally, close the Group Policy window by clicking the “X” icon on the title bar and then restart your computer. That is it. After restarting, all the selected default Microsoft Store apps in Windows 11 are uninstalled.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
