Windows 11 deprecated features

Microsoft keeps adding new features to Windows 11, but at the same time, it’s also killing off apps and tools. Microsoft has deprecated several features in recent updates, with many legacy tools phased out in Windows 11 24H2, and the company has a vague justification for every legacy service it has killed so far.

Why is Microsoft deprecating features in Windows 11? There are many reasons, but the primary reason is the company wants to modernize the OS, bring it in line with new standards, and reallocate resources to building other features or products. However, deprecation does not always mean the app is getting removed.

Over the weekend, Windows Latest spotted a document that explains what deprecation truly means on Windows. The timing is interesting, and it’s entirely possible that the company plans to deprecate a couple more legacy tools or features in Windows 11.

Microsoft wants you to stop associating “deprecation” in Windows as “the end” because the company says it should be considered an advance notice.

It’s the “save the date” moment for the users. Microsoft is willing to retire the deprecated product/app in future, but it doesn’t mean Windows 11 will definitely lose the feature immediately after the deprecation announcement.

As I mentioned, Windows 11 has already lost dozens of features over the past few months.

wordpad windows 11

For example, Windows 11 recently lost support for WordPad, which was one of the most liked features.

Microsoft first announced that it was deprecating WordPad and that it would be removed in a future Windows release. That release turned out to be Windows 11 24H2, which shipped on October 1, 2024, and removed the text editor we all loved.

Microsoft argued that it’s killing off WordPad because Notepad is good enough, and for advanced needs, MS Word is what everyone should use. But WordPad has its own fanbase, and some of us really liked it.

While it’s not as advanced as Word and doesn’t have new AI features like Notepad, WordPad gets the job done.

Microsoft is still deprecating features in Windows 11

Paint 3D has been discontinued, but it’s still part of Windows 11, and Microsoft has no plans to disable it. This is an example of a “deprecation” moment where the product has been deprecated, but it’s not getting killed off.

On the other hand, the completely opposite example would be WordPad, which was removed weeks after its deprecation announcement.

“Deprecated products are supported until their retirement or removal date; however, they are no longer in active development and won’t evolve,” Microsoft noted in the support document. “Sometimes years can go by between the deprecation announcement and the actual end of the lifecycle, which gives you time to prepare for change.”

Microsoft has recently deprecated and removed as many as six features. Last month, Microsoft deprecated Suggested Actions, a lesser-known feature that appears when you copy a phone number or date in native apps.

This feature will be removed in a future release, but it still works.

Similarly, Microsoft has also deprecated the legacy DRM services, which were used by Windows Media Player, but we don’t know when it’s getting killed off.

About The Author

Mayank Parmar

Mayank Parmar is an entrepreneur who founded Windows Latest. He is the Editor-in-Chief and has written on various topics in his seven years of career, but he is mostly known for his well-researched work on Microsoft's Windows. His articles and research works have been referred to by CNN, Business Insiders, Forbes, Fortune, CBS Interactive, Microsoft and many others over the years.