Microsoft removed a lot of redundant and useful features from Windows 11 this year. (Image Source: Reuters)
Microsoft consistently updates Windows 11 with new features that let users make the most out of their PCs. However, the tech giant has also killed some existing ones. Here’s a quick look at 5 Windows 11 features Microsoft deprecated in 2023.
WordPad
Introduced in 1995 with Windows 95, WordPad is a rich text editor that received numerous updates in the last few decades. However, the app was last updated for Windows 8, and Microsoft has been ignoring it since then.
Earlier this year in September, the tech giant announced that “WordPad is no longer being updated and will be removed in a future release of Windows” and users will have to migrate to Word for rich text documents like .rtf and .doc.
While the company hasn’t shared any concrete details on when the app will be removed, it will most likely be discontinued sometime in late 2024, which is when Microsoft is expected to ship the next Windows version.
Mail and Calendar
Microsoft has been slowly abandoning the Mail and Calendar apps in favour of a new Outlook app. While these apps are currently working as intended, they show a pop-up warning asking users to switch to the Outlook client instead.
According to Microsoft, Windows 11 devices shipping in 2024 will come with the new Outlook for Windows as the default mail app, but those who don’t want to migrate can download and use the Windows Mail and Calendar app from the Microsoft Store until the end of 2024.
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Windows Tips
The Windows Tips app has been the go-to place for many to check out new Windows features. However, the tech giant announced last month that the ‘Tips’ app will be removed in a future version of Windows 11.
While the app was never popular in the first place, it served as an easy way to learn about the latest Windows features. Microsoft says it will be replaced by the ‘Get Help’ app that lets you quickly look up for information you are looking for and even has an option to contact a support representative in case you hit a roadblock.
Windows Speech Recognition
Introduced in Windows Vista in 2006, Microsoft has announced that the Speech Recognition tool is no longer supported. It will soon be replaced by the already available ‘Voice Access’ feature on Windows 11, which according to the company is more accurate.
On Windows 10, the Voice Access app is missing right now, so Microsoft might let users keep using the Speech Recognition tool or port it to the older operating system in the future.
Cortana
Earlier this year in June, Microsoft announced that it is killing its Halo-inspired voice assistant – Cortana. Originally launched in 2014 for Windows Phone 8.1, the digital voice assistant was soon ported to Windows 10 and even showed up in apps like Microsoft Office.
However, with Windows 11, Microsoft decided to remove Cortana from the taskbar and offered it as a standalone app instead. Now, Cortana only remains in our memory and Outlook mobile.
