Turn Off Windows 11 Bloatware [upd] (2025)

This prints a massive list of everything hidden. To remove, say, the Xbox Game Bar (bloat if you don't game), you would type:

Look at the "Status" column. See all those "Enabled" entries? Ask yourself: Do I need "Adobe Acrobat Helper" running before I even open a PDF?

What if the "Uninstall" button is greyed out? Some Windows 11 apps (like OneDrive or Microsoft Teams) are deeply embedded. For this, we turn to a community favorite tool: . turn off windows 11 bloatware

Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps . Scroll through the list, click the three dots ... next to an app (like Spotify, TikTok, or trial antivirus), and select Uninstall .

on anything that isn't your antivirus or graphics driver. You will boot up 2x faster tomorrow morning. This prints a massive list of everything hidden

But here is the secret: This only removes the shortcut . The skeleton of the app often remains. For the heavy hitters, we need surgery.

When creating a bootable USB drive for Windows 11 using a tool called Rufus , the software offers a "Vigilante" mode (or similar checkboxes) that automatically: Ask yourself: Do I need "Adobe Acrobat Helper"

Most people stop here. Don't be most people.

While debloating is great for performance, be careful not to strip away system components you actually need. Avoid removing: