Microsoft’s operating system Windows 10 ships with a — growing — number of system apps. Some apps have replaced programs like the Calculator that previous versions of Windows shipped with, others like Cortana offer new functionality that was not part of previous Windows versions.
You had to go through a technical process up until now to remove system apps from a device running Windows 10.
This involved running Powershell commands at first, but is now easier thanks to programs like Geek Uninstaller that provide you with an interface for that.
Still, Microsoft did not provide a reason for blocking the uninstallation of system apps on devices running Windows 10.
If you open the Apps & features section of the Settings application, you will notice that “uninstall” is not active when you click on system applications like Mail and Calendar.
Windows 10 14936 : Uninstall System Apps
If you run the latest Insider preview version of Windows, build 14936, you may have noticed that Microsoft started to do away with the restriction on that build.
If you open the Mail and Calendar application for instance, you will notice that the uninstall button is active now. This means that you can remove the system app from the machine without having to resort to Powershell or third-party programs to do so.
Users who are on the stable version of Windows 10 cannot uninstall system apps using the apps & features menu currently.
It seems likely that Microsoft will introduce the feature with the next feature update, codename Redstone 2, which will be out in 2017.
Before you start jumping up and down in joy, note that some system applications cannot be removed. While you can uninstall Mail and Calendar, Calculator, Groove Music, Maps, and Weather, you cannot remove Alarm & Clock, Camera, Cortana, Messaging, and others.
It is unclear why that distinction is being made. One possible explanation is that at least some of the system apps that you cannot uninstall using the Apps & features settings page are used for core functionality of Windows 10.
Another possibility is that Microsoft is still working on the feature. Considering that it is only available in preview releases of Windows 10, there is a chance that uninstall will be activated for other system apps further down the line in development.
Only time will tell if that is the case, as Microsoft has not spilled out any information on the feature yet (despite it being a highly requested feature in the Feedback Hub and on the Internet). (via Deskmodder)
Now You: Do you (or would you) use any system apps that ship with Windows 10?