Remove Pre-Installed Suggested Apps in Windows 10

Yes, you can remove pre-installed suggested apps in Windows 10, and the method depends on whether the app is a full Store app or a bundled system component. This guide covers the exact steps for uninstalling bloatware like Candy Crush, Spotify, and Xbox Game Bar, plus how to prevent them from returning after a feature update.

What Counts as a Suggested App

Windows 10 ships with two categories of pre-installed software. The first is standard system apps like Calculator, Photos, and Mail, which Microsoft considers part of the OS. The second is third-party “suggested” apps, which are promotional placements in the Start menu. These include games like Candy Crush Friends Saga, apps like Spotify, and utilities like Adobe Photoshop Express. Microsoft licenses these from partners and installs them automatically on new PCs and after major feature updates. They appear as tiles in the Start menu but are not required for Windows to function.

How to Uninstall Suggested Apps via Settings

The simplest removal method works for most third-party bloatware. Open the Start menu, right-click the app tile, and select “Uninstall.” If that option is grayed out, use the Settings app instead:

1. Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
2. Click Apps and then Apps & features.
3. Scroll the list or use the search box to find the app (e.g., “Spotify”).
4. Click the app name, then click Uninstall.
5. Confirm the prompt. The app is removed without affecting other software.

This method works for any app that appears in the Apps & features list, including most Store-delivered bloatware. If the app does not appear there, it is likely a system component that requires a different approach.

Removing System Apps with PowerShell

Some pre-installed apps, like Xbox Game Bar or the Get Help app, are system components that do not show an Uninstall button. You can remove them with a PowerShell command, but this requires care because deleting the wrong package can break Windows functions. To proceed:

1. Right-click the Start button and select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).
2. Type Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers and press Enter to list every installed app package.
3. Find the package name in the Name column, such as Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay for Xbox Game Bar.
4. Run Remove-AppxPackage -Package (Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay).PackageFullName and press Enter.

Replace the package name with the one you want to remove. This command uninstalls the app for the current user only. To remove it for all new user accounts, add the -AllUsers flag to the Get-AppxPackage part. Do not remove packages like Microsoft.WindowsStore or Microsoft.WindowsCalculator because the Store and core utilities depend on them.

Preventing Suggested Apps from Returning

After a major Windows 10 feature update (like version 21H2 or 22H2), Microsoft sometimes reinstalls third-party suggested apps. You can block this with a Group Policy setting, but it only works on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. Home users do not have access to the Group Policy Editor. For Pro users:

1. Press Windows key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content.
3. Double-click Do not show Windows welcome experiences and set it to Enabled.
4. Also enable Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences in the same folder.
5. Click OK and restart the PC.

On Home editions, the only reliable way to keep bloatware off is to uninstall it after each feature update. You can also defer feature updates by up to 35 days in Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options, which gives you time to see if a new update causes problems before it installs.

What Happens If You Remove the Wrong App

Removing a system app can cause subtle problems. For example, deleting the Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay package removes the Game Bar, which also disables the ability to record clips or take screenshots with the Win+Alt+R shortcut. Removing Microsoft.WindowsCamera breaks the built-in camera app, though third-party camera software still works. The Microsoft.WindowsStore package is the most dangerous to remove because it also removes the ability to install or update any Store app, including future security patches for those apps. If you accidentally remove a needed package, you can reinstall it from the Microsoft Store by searching for the app name, or run Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} in an admin PowerShell to re-register all built-in apps.

Using Third-Party Bloatware Removers

Several free tools automate the removal of pre-installed apps. These tools list every package, show which ones are safe to remove, and let you uninstall many at once. Popular options include O&O AppBuster and the open-source Win10BloatRemover. They work by running the same PowerShell commands under the hood, so they do not do anything you cannot do manually. The advantage is speed and safety: they mark system-critical packages and refuse to remove them. The disadvantage is that they sometimes remove apps you might later want, such as the Xbox app if you use a controller. Before using any tool, create a system restore point (Control Panel > System > System Protection > Create) so you can roll back if something breaks.

Why Microsoft Includes These Apps

Microsoft earns revenue from pre-installing third-party apps, similar to how Android phones ship with carrier apps. The company also uses suggested apps to promote its own services like OneDrive, Office, and Teams. These apps are not spyware; they are promotional placements. They do not run in the background unless you open them, and they do not collect personal data beyond what the app itself does when you use it. Uninstalling them has no effect on Windows security updates or core functionality. The only downside is that the Start menu tiles remain as empty placeholders until you unpin them, which you can do by right-clicking the tile and selecting “Unpin from Start.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I remove all pre-installed apps at once? Yes, but only the ones that are safe. You can run a PowerShell loop that removes every package except a list of essentials like Store, Calculator, and Photos. The command Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Where-Object {$_.Name -notmatch "WindowsStore|Calculator|Photos"} | Remove-AppxPackage removes most third-party and system apps in one go. Test on a non-critical PC first.

Will uninstalling bloatware speed up my PC? Usually not noticeably. These apps use almost no CPU or RAM when closed. The main benefit is a cleaner Start menu and fewer background tasks if the apps have scheduled updates. If your PC is slow, the cause is more likely insufficient RAM, an HDD instead of an SSD, or too many startup programs, not pre-installed games.

Do suggested apps come back after a reboot? No. Uninstalling via Settings or PowerShell removes them permanently for your user account. They only return after a major feature update (twice a year) or if you reset the PC. The Group Policy method in the section above prevents that reinstallation on Pro editions.

Is it safe to delete the Windows Store? No. The Store is required for installing, updating, and repairing all other apps, including security fixes for built-in apps. Removing it can also break the Settings app in some Windows 10 versions. If you dislike the Store, leave it installed but unpin its tile from Start.

What if the Uninstall button is missing? That means the app is a system component, not a third-party suggested app. Use the PowerShell method with the exact package name. To find the name, run Get-AppxPackage and look for the app’s name in the output. For example, the Xbox Console Companion app has the package name Microsoft.XboxApp.

Can I reinstall a suggested app after removing it? Yes. Open the Microsoft Store, search for the app name, and click Install. This works for all third-party apps like Spotify or Candy Crush. For system apps like Xbox Game Bar, search the Store for “Xbox Game Bar” and install it from there.

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