Empowering Admins: Customizing Pre-Installed Store Apps with Microsoft

New Policy Update Allows IT Admins to Remove Preinstalled Microsoft Store Apps

Microsoft has recently enhanced its Windows 11 in-box app removal policy to give IT administrators greater control over preinstalled Store apps. The updated policy now includes a dynamic list feature that enables admins to select which apps to uninstall.

The RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages policy allows admins to remove any preinstalled MSIX/APPX app by referencing its Package Family Name (PFN) through Group Policy Object (GPO) or a custom OMA-URI for mobile device management (MDM).

According to Microsoft, this update aims to simplify Microsoft Store app management for IT admins across various devices in an enterprise environment. Admins can now remove preinstalled apps by referencing their Package Family Name, offering a more streamlined approach to app management.

To access this new feature, admins need to ensure that their devices have received the April 2026 Windows non-security update. Windows Insiders can access the feature by installing the March 13, 2026, builds in the Dev and Beta channels.

For Group Policy implementation, admins need to follow specific steps to effectively remove preinstalled apps. Microsoft has extended support for the RemoveDefaultMicrosoftStorePackages policy to Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 11 24H2, allowing more users to benefit from this feature.

Previously only available on devices running Windows 11 25H2 or later, the updated app removal policy now extends its support to Windows 11, version 24H2 Enterprise and Education editions. This expansion enables organizations using the 2024 release to leverage policy-driven app management without requiring a full OS version upgrade.

Detailed guidance on supported apps and applying the policy to devices is available for admins. While the Intune entry for this policy currently lacks the dynamic list option, Microsoft plans to make it available in the near future.

Microsoft also introduced a new policy setting, RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp, that allows IT admins to uninstall the AI-powered Copilot digital assistant from enterprise devices after installing the April 2026 Patch Tuesday cumulative updates.