In 2023, Microsoft made significant changes to Windows 11, deprecating various features that had been part of the operating system for years. Feature deprecation involves gradually phasing out and eventually removing features or components that will no longer receive updates. Microsoft announced over the past 12 months that it will deprecate 16 different features.
Image credit: Microsoft.com
Cortana, Microsoft’s voice assistant introduced in 2014, has been officially discontinued. The older Cortana app stopped functioning after the introduction of Windows Copilot, with Microsoft stating that it would continue working until later in 2023. Unfortunately, the Cortana app is now completely inactive, signaling the end of its era as Microsoft’s competitor to Siri and Google Assistant.
WordPad, a text editor that has been part of Windows since 1995, is also on the deprecation path. Despite its role as a versatile, rich text editor supporting Word documents and different formatting options, WordPad has been stagnant since Windows 10 and will be shortly deprecated.
The built-in Mail & Calendar apps in Windows 10 and 11 are in maintenance mode and will be retired in 2024 with the introduction of the new Outlook client. Microsoft has gradually shifted focus away from the Mail & Calendar apps in favor of the new Outlook, which integrates email and calendar functionalities.
The Windows Tips app, serving as a guide to new features, is set to be retired and removed with the next major Windows update. Users will have no other option but to explore alternative sources, like the “Get Help” app, to learn about new Windows features.
Windows Speech Recognition, introduced in Windows Vista back in 2006, is now being replaced by the more modern “voice access” feature on Windows 11, offering improved voice navigation capabilities.
Several other features are also being deprecated, including Steps Recorder, Timeline for Microsoft Entra accounts, Legacy Console Mode, TLS 1.0 and 1.1, Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool, Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Office, Computer Browser Protocol, WebDAV Service, Remote Mailslots, VBScript, and AllJoyn.
Microsoft’s decision to deprecate these features reflects an effort to streamline and modernize Windows 11. While it is nice to see that Microsoft is cleaning the house, removing certain features, such as WordPad, leaves some users with nostalgia and regret. Despite these feelings, above mentioned changes should enhance the overall user experience and security of the Windows operating system.