Remove Pre-Installed Microsoft Store Apps via Intune (Windows 11 25H2+)

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Remove Pre-Installed Microsoft Store Apps via Intune (Windows 11 25H2 and Later)

Removing pre-installed Microsoft Store apps — often called bloatware — has become much simpler with recent Windows 11 updates. Starting with Windows 11 25H2, Microsoft introduced a built-in policy that lets Intune administrators remove these default apps without needing PowerShell scripts.

This guide covers four methods to remove pre-installed apps through Microsoft Intune, from the new native policy to custom scripting and registry-based options.

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🧩 Method 1: Native Policy-Based Removal (Windows 11 25H2+)

The “Remove Default Microsoft Store Packages” policy is a new feature introduced in Windows 11 25H2. It allows direct control over pre-installed Microsoft Store apps using Intune — no custom scripts required.

Steps: Configure via Settings Catalog

1. Sign in to Intune Admin Center → Devices → Windows → Configuration Profiles
2. Click Create → New Policy
3. Choose Windows 10 and later as the platform
4. Select Settings Catalog as the profile type
5. Name your profile — for example: Remove Preinstalled Microsoft Store Apps

Configure the Setting

1. Under Settings Picker, search for Microsoft Store Packages
2. Select:
   Administrative Templates → Windows Components → App Package Deployment
3. Choose Remove Default Microsoft Store Packages
4. Enable the setting
5. Select which apps to remove from the provided list

Supported Apps for Removal

Commonly removable apps include:

• Microsoft Copilot
• Microsoft Photos
• Windows Terminal
• Paint and Notepad
• Snipping Tool
• Feedback Hub
• Xbox TCUI and Gaming Apps
• Microsoft Sticky Notes
• Microsoft Solitaire Collection
• Microsoft Clipchamp
• Sound Recorder
• Microsoft To Do
• MSN Weather
• Microsoft Teams

💡 Note: This policy only affects new user profiles. Existing users will keep their current apps.

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⚙️ Method 2: Using Custom OMA-URI (Advanced Control)

If you need more granular control or want to manage older builds, use a Custom OMA-URI configuration profile.

OMA-URI Configuration

Setting	Value
OMA URI	./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ApplicationManagement/RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages
Data Type	String
Value	Enter the list of apps to remove

Deploy this configuration to your Windows 11 devices via Devices > Configuration profiles > Create > Custom.

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🛠 Method 3: Uninstall Microsoft Store Apps via Intune Assignments

This method works for both Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can add Store apps to Intune and assign them for uninstall rather than install.

Steps to Configure

1. Go to Apps → Windows Apps → Add
2. Choose Microsoft Store App (New)
3. Search for the app you want to remove (e.g., Mail and Calendar)
4. If it doesn’t appear, use the App ID from the Microsoft Store
5. Set Install Behavior to System (ensures system-wide removal)
6. Under Assignments, select your device groups and set Assignment Type to Uninstall

✅ Tip: Enable Hide notifications to prevent user pop-ups during removal.

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💻 Method 4: PowerShell Script Deployment (For Older Versions or Custom Lists)

If you’re managing older Windows versions or want to fully customize which apps to remove, PowerShell remains a solid option.

Common Scripts

• Andrew Taylor’s Debloat Script: Comprehensive cleanup for AppX packages and OEM bloat
• Win11Debloat: Lightweight and community-driven script for Windows 11
• Custom Scripts: Use PowerShell cmdlets like Get-AppxPackage and Remove-AppxPackage for targeted removals

Deploy via Intune

1. Create a PowerShell script file (.ps1)
2. Upload it in Intune Admin Center → Devices → Scripts → Add > PowerShell Script
3. Set it to run in System context for elevated permissions
4. Assign it to target device groups

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🧱 Method 5: Registry-Based Extension (For Unsupported Apps)

Some Store apps aren’t listed in the policy catalog. You can extend the removal process by adding them manually to the registry via PowerShell.

# Registry method to remove extra default apps
$registryPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Appx\RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages"
$customApps = @(
    "7EE7776C.LinkedInforWindows_w1wdnht996qgy", # LinkedIn
    "Microsoft.Copilot_8wekyb3d8bbwe" # Copilot
)

foreach ($app in $customApps) {
    New-Item -Path "$registryPath\$app" -Force
    Set-ItemProperty -Path "$registryPath\$app" -Name "RemovedPackage" -Value 1
}
Set-ItemProperty -Path $registryPath -Name "Enabled" -Value 1

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📋 Best Practices

• Use in Autopilot: Apply the policy during the Enrollment Status Page (ESP) phase for new device setups.
• Pilot Testing: Always start with a small group before deploying organization-wide.
• System Context: Ensure PowerShell scripts run as System to avoid permission issues.
• Monitor Results: Verify removal success in Intune’s monitoring section.

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⚠️ Limitations

• Windows 11 Home is not supported by this policy.
• Existing User Profiles are unaffected by the new built-in policy.
• Some apps with dependencies may not be removed automatically.

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🧾 Monitoring and Troubleshooting

• Check Devices > Monitor > Device Configuration for policy status.
• Review Apps > Monitor > App Install Status to confirm uninstalls.
• Use the Device Configuration tab on a specific device to check deployment success.

Common Issues

• Apps reappearing after major Windows updates
• Store apps not listed in Intune search results
• Partial removal on Windows 10 devices

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🧠 Summary

For most environments running Windows 11 25H2 or later, the native policy-based removal is the simplest and most reliable approach.
If you support older systems, use Intune uninstall assignments or PowerShell scripts for flexibility.
For unsupported apps, extend removal through registry keys.

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