- To debloat Windows 11, download and launch “Junkctrl,” click “Skip and use Copilot,” check “Show system apps,” choose the apps to remove, and click “Uninstall.”
- Usually, you can remove most applications, with the exception of some obvious ones required by the system, such as Microsoft Edge, Desktop App Installer, extensions, runtime instances, UI XAML, Nearby Share, etc.
UPDATED 10/16/2023: The term “debloat” refers to the process of removing those unnecessary apps and services from Windows 11 (in this case) that you may not find necessary, invasive, or otherwise would be wasting system resources.
Unfortunately, even if you do a clean installation, Windows 11 still comes with a bunch of software and services that may continuously run in the background, wasting system resources and battery life and collecting usage data (telemetry) without an option to turn them off.
Although you could spend hours trying to figure out the things you can remove and more time using PowerShell commands, a tool known as “JunkCtrl” makes it easy to debloat Windows 11 quickly. The tool is available through GitHub as a free download, and it’s a simple piece of software that takes the hard work out of the equation to uninstall many bloatware, including those not available through the “Installed apps” settings page.
In this guide, you will learn the steps to use a simple to make Windows 11 as lean as possible by removing components you may not need.
Remove bloatware apps from Windows 11
To remove all the bloatware apps from a Windows 11 installation, use these steps:
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Under the “Assets” section, click the Junkctrl.zip option to save the file.
Quick note: Microsoft Defender Antivirus may block the download, so you may have to allow the file from the Windows Security app manually. -
Open the downloaded file.
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Click the Extract all button from the command bar.
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Click the Extract button.
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Open the uncompressed Junkctrl folder.
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Double-click the Junkctrl.exe files to launch the application.
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Click the More info option and the Run anyway button (if applicable).
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Click the “Skip and use Copilot” option.
Quick note: You can alternatively pick from the list the items you want to remove and click the “New search” button to scan and choose the specific apps to remove. -
(Optional) Hold the “Ctrl” key and select each app you want to remove.
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Click the Move button.
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(Optional) Click the Move all button to debloat all the apps from Windows 11.
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(Optional) Click the “Show system apps” option to show system apps, including apps you usually can’t uninstall from Windows 11, such as Widgets, Your Phone, Xbox, etc.
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(Optional) Hold the “Ctrl” button and select each app you want to remove.
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Click the Move button.
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Click the Uninstall button.
Once you complete the steps, the tool will run the necessary scripts to remove the selected apps and services to debloat the system.
Some of the apps you may consider removing include TikTok, Instagram, Office Hub, Solitare Collection, Mixed Reality Portal, People, Print 3D, Get Started, and Media Player. You could also remove the OneDrive app, Weather, News, Dev Home, Camera, Maps, Your Phone, Xbox apps, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Remote Desktop, Microsoft Store, Clipchamp, and others. However, the apps you want to remove to debloat Windows 11 will depend on the apps you need to get the work done on your computer.
In my test, the tool worked well, but I was not able to remove many components like Microsoft Edge as they are essential, and removing them will break other features that depend on those components. Also, at the time of writing, the “Copilot” feature is not listed as a component that you can remove with this app, but I have written another dedicated set of instructions to disable it.
The tool was initially known as “ThisIsWin11” (TIW11), then the name changed to “LoveWindowsAgain,” then it changed to “Debloos,” and now, due to some conflicts with the Microsoft Store, it’s been renamed to “JunkCtrl.” This guide has been updated to reflect the latest name and the new process.
Alternatively, you can now also install Windows 11 without any bloatware in the first place, and this is possible by selecting a specific region setting during the installation setup.
Update October 10, 2023: This guide has been updated to reflect the new changes to the application.
Updated October 16, 2023: Added some suggestions of the apps you may consider removing from Windows 11. Also, I included the link to another set of instructions to install the operating system without bloatware.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.