How to Uninstall Apps on Windows 10

For every app on someone’s PC that gets used daily, there are half a dozen that are rarely opened. Removing programs in past versions of Windows could be tricky, but newer versions give users several ways to do just that.

You can uninstall apps on Windows 10 in a variety of ways, and we’re going to cover them all in our guide. That includes apps that won’t uninstall through traditional methods or ones that require PowerShell access.

How to Uninstall Apps on Windows 10

For most users and with most programs, the easiest way to remove a program from Windows 10 is through the platform’s built-in tools. You should be able to uninstall most apps from a PC using these methods, whether you go through the start Menu, settings, or the control panel.

Using the Start Menu

Go to the lower left-hand corner of the screen and select the Start Menu icon. When the list of apps appears, scroll until you find the app you want to uninstall.

Right-click on the app to bring up new options, and then select Uninstall to start the removal process from your PC.

Using the Control Panel

Open the control panel in Windows 10 by going to the search box in the taskbar and typing Control Panel. Choose the control panel app in the pop-up menu which brings up the screen you see below.

Under the programs section, select Uninstall to bring up a list of all the programs currently installed on your PC. Find the apps you want to uninstall from that list and right-click to bring up a new prompt and follow the instructions to uninstall the application.

Using the Settings Menu

Select the Start Menu on the taskbar and then choose the gear icon to bring up the settings panel. 

When the new screen appears, choose the Apps section which brings up the Apps & Features window. Locate any application you want to remove and click to see the available options. When you select uninstall, follow the prompts until the program has been removed.

Check out the video below for a quick visual guide of this process.

Uninstall Apps on Windows 10 using Safe Mode

The methods we outlined work on most, but not all Windows apps. Occasionally you’ll need more access, which is where “Safe Mode” comes into play. Driver conflicts and a variety of other issues can cause problems during the uninstallation process but may be able to clear those with a reboot.

1. Windows Settings

To enter Safe Mode you’ll need to go into the Windows settings menu by selecting the Start Menu icon on the taskbar and choosing the gear icon.

2. Recovery Mode

From the settings screen, choose Update & Security and then select Recovery which brings up this screen.

3. Restart your PC

Before taking the next step make sure you close down and save anything open on your PC. When ready, you’ll need to click on Restart Now under the advanced startup section, which will reboot your computer.

4. Enter Safe Mode

After your PC reboots, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options Startup Settings > Restart and you’ll see new options after the reboot. Choose F4 to boot the PC up in safe mode or F5 for safe mode with networking. When complete, follow one of the methods we outlined above to uninstall the Windows app from your PC.

How to Uninstall Apps on Windows 10 Through PowerShell

One type of app that is challenging to uninstall on Windows 10 and 11 is the one that comes preinstalled. An easy way to remove these applications is through PowerShell, a program included in Windows 10.

1. Search for PowerShell

Go to the search bar on the taskbar and type the word PowerShell. Select Run as Administrator from the new screen and confirm the message that asks if you’ll allow PowerShell to make changes to your PC. 

2. Find Apps on your PC

Anyone that has used DOS will be familiar with this screen, although it can make finding apps you want to remove challenging. You need to type this command to see a list of applications installed on your computer:

Get-AppxPackage | select Name, PackageFullName | Format-List

3. Locate Package Names

Now you should see a screen showing apps installed on your computer. You can scroll through the window until you see the “package” name with the file you want to remove. In this case, it’s Spotify but you may have an overwhelming number of results to sort through.

If you want to speed things up, you can click on the PowerShell Icon and choose Edit > Find to use the search function and find the app you’re looking for. Once you locate the app, copy the name of the app as it’s shown next to PackageFullName.

4. Remove Windows App with PowerShell

When you have the package names you want to remove, you need to type this command Remove-AppxPackage along with the package name of the app you want to uninstall, and hit Enter. 

This command only removes the app from a single user account, so you’ll need to add -allusers in front of that if you want to uninstall Windows 10 apps for all users on a PC.

Wrap Up

The methods we’ve outlined will help you uninstall most apps from Windows 10, including preinstalled bloatware on new systems. New versions of Windows have streamlined the removal process, although it’s far from the only operating system out there. If you’ve been considering switching platforms, be sure to check out this guide on the differences between Windows, Mac, and Linux.              

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Wachiwit/Shutterstock.com.