Microsoft just killed a Windows app users probably never opened
What's the story
Microsoft has officially confirmed the discontinuation of its Windows Maps app.
The tech giant has updated its list of deprecated features to include this change, noting that the program will soon be removed from the Microsoft Store.
This decision comes after a series of steps leading up to the app's removal, including the earlier elimination of offline maps support and its absence in clean installations on Windows 11 version 24H2.
Official statement
What Microsoft says about the app's removal
Microsoft has announced that the Windows Maps app will be pulled from the Microsoft Store by July 2025.
The company plans to issue a final update for the app around that time, making it nonfunctional. If you want to keep using maps powered by Bing service, switch over to its web version.
Despite these changes, your personal data or files saved in Windows Maps won't be deleted but will stop working after July 2025.
Additional deprecations
Deprecation of other features also announced
Along with Windows Maps, Microsoft has also announced the deprecation of other features.
These include Windows UWP Map control, Windows Maps platform APIs, and VBS enclaves for Windows 11 version 23H2 and earlier.
The deprecation of these features accompanies the removal of Windows Maps, but the specific reasons for these changes were not detailed in the announcement.