Windows 11 users will soon have less trouble managing their computers' storage.
Microsoft recently announced it would soon allow Windows 11 users to uninstall more built-in apps, allowing them to customize their computers further and free up more space.
Microsoft has started giving Windows 11 users the ability to uninstall built-in apps since March.
Hello, (Storage) Space
Microsoft mentioned in its announcement of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25931 with Canary Channel testers that it is testing the new build, which includes the ability to uninstall certain Windows 11 built-in apps.
According to the announcement, these apps include the camera app, the recently discontinued Cortana app, the Photos app, the People app, and the Remote Desktop (MSTSC) client. While these apps are not exactly big enough to make a significant difference in a Windows 11 user's storage space, their ability to be removed makes the OS feel less bloated than before.
Their removal is also a boon for people who want to personalize their computers further by replacing them with similarly functioning apps they are comfortable with.
The ability to uninstall built-in Windows 11 apps has been present in Windows 11 computers since March when Microsoft gave users (or at least people testing its Canary Channel at the time) the ability to uninstall the Camera app. Additionally, the company also announced it has discontinued support for its standalone Windows Cortana app earlier this month, effectively killing it in the process.
In this photo illustration a Windows 11 logo is seen on a... UKRAINE - 2021/06/24: In this photo illustration a Windows 11 logo is seen on a smartphone screen with a Microsoft website in the background. Microsoft has presented Windows 11, new generation of Windows operating system (OS), during an event on June 24, 2021. (Photo Illustration by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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However, Microsoft assures Windows 365 users that they can still access Cortana in Outlook Mobile, Teams Mobile, Microsoft Teams display, and Microsoft Teams rooms.
Unfortunately, the typical Windows 11 user can't uninstall the camera app, the recently discontinued Cortana app, the Photos app, the People app, and the MSTSC client anytime soon. Microsoft has yet to release this ability in its recent updates.
Thankfully, Windows 11 users won't need to wait for that long. A report from The Verge stated that Microsft is planning on releasing it along with its next big Windows 11 update in September.
Whether Microsoft will follow through with this or not is still debatable.
Other Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25931 Features
Aside from the removal of certain Windows 11 built-in apps, Microsoft said in its announcement that it is adding more fields in File Explorer to show in the Details pane. These panels include image dimensions for pictures, number of pages for .docx, space used, and free information for drives.
Microsoft also added Dynamic Lighting - it lets users sync their Windows accent color with the devices around them. Interestingly, Microsoft said it is making two improvements to the domain controller (DC) locator algorithm in Windows.
The first improvement is blocking the use of NetBIOS\WINS\mailslot-based methods for DC-discovery by default. This change is reversible using a new Group Policy setting.
It is also making the reversion to default behavior require enabling the "EnableMailslots" SMB configuration option. However, Windows 11 users should keep in mind that reversions should be considered as a temporary measure until Microsoft finds a more appropriate (and permanent) solution.
Related Article: Microsoft Officially Kills Its Cortana Standalone App
