Summary
- Microsoft’s bold reinvention brought AI and Windows 11, but orphaned beloved apps.
- Five beloved staples were retired: Movie Maker, Paint 3D, Mail, Lens, and WordPad.
- Replacements lack features and the simple charm — I miss the accessible tools.
There’s no denying that Microsoft stands tall among the most influential tech giants out there. The company has undeniably undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few years. Windows 11 introduced a bold new look and slew of modern features, while the Surface lineup has cemented itself as a leader in the premium laptop space. Microsoft also wasted no time diving into the AI boom, launching Bing Chat and teasing the powerful Copilot experience. And let’s not overlook Azure, a key player in the ongoing cloud wars.
But with every reinvention comes a bit of collateral damage. Great products are sometimes left behind. As someone who has been following Microsoft’s steps with keen interest, I believe the company pulled the plug on these five apps far too soon.
Windows Movie Maker
A key to my childhood
First up is Windows Movie Maker, and if you were anything like me, this app played a big role in your childhood. First introduced in 2000, it came bundled with Windows Me, XP, and Vista, and other Windows OS’s and quickly became the go-to tool for budding video editors. With its timeline-based interface, easy-to-use tools, and built-in options for titles, transitions, and voice-overs, it made editing feel approachable.
I always thought of it as the iMovie of Windows, and a solid reason to skip buying a Mac if your needs were simple. Unfortunately, Windows Movie Maker is no more — it slowly got absorbed into the Windows Live branding and later into Windows Live Essentials, which, like the app itself, eventually went to dust in 2017.
Microsoft did try to carry over some of its DNA into the Photos app’s built-in video editor, but let’s be honest, it’s not quite the same.
Paint 3D
A 3D-graphics drawing program
When Microsoft introduced Paint 3D in 2017 as part of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, it positioned the app as a bold re-imagining of the classic Paint app. Instead of a simple digital doodling tool, Paint 3D promised to be a creative hub where anyone could design 3D objects, apply stickers, and even remix other people’s work through Microsoft’s online community.
The goal was accessibility, making 3D modeling less intimidating and opening the door to kids, students, and hobbyists to explore a medium that’s usually restrictive with a host of necessary professional software.
Despite the ambition, Paint 3D never really found an audience. Casual users often fell back on the classic Paint app for quick edits and screenshots, while artists and designers continued to rely on more powerful platforms like Blender, Maya, and ZBrush. Without a dedicated user base, Microsoft’s vision of democratizing 3D creativity struggled to gain any traction.
Mail
A simple, clean mail app
For years, the Mail app served as the default email client on Windows 10 and early versions of Windows 11. Designed to be lightweight and touch-friendly, it offered a simple, clutter-free way to manage your inbox without diving into the complexity of full Outlook. Mail integrated smoothly with Outlook.com, Gmail, and Exchange accounts, making it a go-to option for anyone who just needed a clean, minimal tool for checking emails across multiple accounts.
That convenience, however, has now come to an end. As part of its “One Outlook” strategy, Microsoft has been consolidating its email services into a single, unified app. Mail, along with the Calendar and People apps, were officially retired and replaced by the new Outlook for Windows.
This change first began with Windows 11 users in October 2023, and then was extended to Windows 10 users in early 2025.
Microsoft Lens
My favorite scanner app
Microsoft announced that it will discontinue my favorite scanning app, Microsoft Lens, for iOS and Android as of September 15, 2025, as it transitions users towards its Microsoft 365 Copilot program. The phasing out begins in stages: new downloads will be disabled around mid-October 2025; the app will be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in mid-November; and as of December 15, 202, users will no longer be able to create new scans.
Lens has long been my favorite scanner app thanks to its simplicity, free access, and flexible features. I could convert receipts, business cards, PowerPoints, and Word documents into PDFs all without paywalls or subscriptions. Now, Microsoft is positioning Copilot as its replacement, but several key features from Lens won’t be available — at least not right away. Missing at launch are direct saving options to OneNote, Word, and PowerPoint, business card scanning, and accessibility tools like Immersive Reader and the read-aloud feature.
WordPad
A simple word processor
After nearly three decades as a Windows staple, WordPad was retired with the rollout of Windows 11 Version 24H2. As a young writer, I spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours on WordPad, typing up bad fantasy RPG storylines. First introduced with Windows 95 as the successor to Microsoft Write, WordPad was always designed as a bridge — more powerful than Notepad, but lighter and simpler than Microsoft Word. For casual editing, it simply worked. You could open .RTF files or create simple documents without having to own Word.
But that very same middle ground may also have been what contributed to the downfall of WordPad. Microsoft now explicitly recommends Word for rich text documents and Notepad for plain text files, cutting out any role for WordPad in modern Windows. For many Windows users, I don’t expect the loss of WordPad to sting much, especially not in a world where Word, Google Docs, and even Notepad were still nearby. Still, the end of WordPad feels symbolic to me. To me, it’s the end of an era in my life.
