The Windows 11 apps worth keeping — and the ones to remove

With more than 30 built-in apps competing for space and attention, the best Windows 11 setup may be selective rather than stripped back.

Windows 11 arrives with a dense catalogue of pre-installed software, but not every item earns a place on the taskbar or in the Start menu. ZDNET argues that the better approach is selective restraint: keep the tools that add real value, replace the weak ones with stronger alternatives, and remove only those apps you genuinely do not want. On recent builds, the installed list can run to more than 30 Microsoft apps, which makes the operating system feel less like a clean desktop platform and more like a bundle of competing services. According to the report, the practical question is not whether each app can be removed, but whether it deserves to stay.

The strongest case for keeping certain core apps is that they are useful, low-friction and, in several cases, hard to match with third-party replacements. ZDNET singles out Microsoft Store as essential for updating built-in components and for finding trusted desktop software. It also recommends keeping Edge as a capable fallback browser, even for users who prefer another default, because the Chromium-based browser offers broad extension support and built-in tracking protection. Other keepers include Snipping Tool, which now handles screenshots and screen recording; Terminal, which gives access to PowerShell and other command-line tools; Quick Assist for remote support; and the familiar utilities such as Notepad, Paint, Calculator and Clock, all of which continue to gain small but useful improvements.

The article also makes a strong case for retaining Microsoft OneDrive, though with caution. The cloud service is useful even for users who do not rely on Microsoft 365, because the free account includes 5 GB of storage and can help move files between devices. At the same time, ZDNET warns that OneDrive Backup can quietly redirect Documents, Pictures and Desktop folders into the cloud if users are not paying attention. Copilot also remains on the keep list, but only conditionally: the report describes it as imperfect but increasingly useful for tasks such as navigating Windows settings and working through PowerShell prompts, provided users verify its output before acting on it.

Some built-in apps, by contrast, are best treated as placeholders rather than finished products. ZDNET suggests replacing Media Player with a stronger third-party alternative such as VLC or MediaMonkey, while leaving the Microsoft app installed only as a fallback. Photos is described as competent but easily displaced by preferred tools from Google or Adobe. Clipchamp is presented as too unclear in its feature and subscription positioning to justify enthusiasm. Sticky Notes, meanwhile, is useful for some users, but the article argues that Outlook’s notes functions can cover the same ground. The practical advice is not to purge everything, but to strip away clutter from the Start menu and keep only what earns regular use.

The article is harsher on Microsoft apps that appear to exist largely by inertia. It recommends uninstalling Microsoft To Do, saying the task manager is more complicated than it needs to be. It also advises removing Microsoft 365 Copilot, which ZDNET describes as a renamed Office web wrapper rather than a genuinely distinct desktop application. Movies & TV is presented as obsolete now that Microsoft no longer sells protected video content through the Store. Maps is treated as redundant in an era when browser-based mapping has become the norm. News, Weather and Sound Recorder are similarly dismissed as ageing holdovers with little reason to remain on a modern Windows installation.

A final group should not be touched, however tempting that may be. ZDNET says the System Components entries in Settings are often tied to Windows features that are not obvious from their names, and it specifically warns against removing Microsoft Bing, which powers search in the taskbar and Start menu. Camera is another app the report says is worth keeping because it remains useful for basic hardware checks and camera settings. Feedback Hub is presented as a sensible hold-out as well, since it gives users a way to report bugs or upvote existing complaints. For enterprise administrators, Microsoft has now made the removal debate even more explicit: according to a recent Tech Community post, policy-based removal of selected pre-installed Microsoft Store apps is now available for Windows 11 Enterprise and Education on version 25H2, with a list that includes Calculator, Camera, Feedback Hub, Copilot, Clipchamp, News, Photos, Solitaire, Sticky Notes, Teams, To Do, Weather, Notepad, Outlook, Paint, Quick Assist, Snipping Tool, Sound Recorder, Windows Media Player, Terminal and several Xbox-related components.

That broader context matters because Microsoft’s inbox app strategy is still evolving. Windows Central reported that Microsoft is actively testing updates for several bundled apps, including Calculator, Camera, Clock, Media Player, Paint, Photos and Sound Recorder, which suggests the company is not abandoning the category so much as slowly modernising it. In other words, the Windows 11 app landscape is no longer a simple distinction between useful and useless. It is a shifting mix of essentials, backups, services, and legacy holdovers, and the most sensible response is to keep only the tools that genuinely improve daily work.