Microsoft’s rush into AI, a visual overhaul with Windows 11, and a drive to consolidate services under Microsoft 365 and Copilot have produced some undeniably bold moves — and a handful of casualties. Among the most nostalgic and useful losses are five apps that many users quietly relied on for years: Windows Movie Maker, Paint 3D, Mail (the built‑in Windows Mail app), Microsoft Lens, and WordPad. These apps weren’t just utilities; they were approachable tools that lowered the barrier to creativity, quick productivity, and everyday tasks. This piece revisits each one, verifies the retirement timeline and technical facts, assesses what was lost (and what replaced them), and suggests realistic workarounds and third‑party alternatives for users left short-handed. The Pocket‑lint roundup that sparked this nostalgia captures the emotional core of the conversation: Microsoft’s reinvention left beloved, lightweight tools behind.
Microsoft’s product strategy in the 2020s focused on consolidation and AI-first experiences: bringing capabilities into Microsoft 365, folding legacy functionality into a reduced set of flagship apps, and pushing Copilot as the new interaction layer across platforms. That drive explains many retirements — but it doesn’t remove the practical consequences for millions of users who built workflows around simple, fast, native utilities. This article verifies the retirement dates and technical recommendations using Microsoft’s own documentation and independent reporting, and it balances nostalgia with practical advice.
Alternatives:
There’s a case to be made for Microsoft to preserve lightweight, discoverable tools that act as gateways for creativity and convenience — or at least to provide solid, low‑friction alternatives that retain the spirit of those apps. Until then, the Windows ecosystem will be a mix of new, powerful cloud experiences and a resurgent market for third‑party utilities that let everyday users do the small things swiftly and without ceremony. The nostalgia is real; the practical steps forward are discoverable and manageable — if users act now to safeguard their data and adapt their workflows.
Source: Pocket-lint 5 forgotten Microsoft apps that I wish were still around
Microsoft’s product strategy in the 2020s focused on consolidation and AI-first experiences: bringing capabilities into Microsoft 365, folding legacy functionality into a reduced set of flagship apps, and pushing Copilot as the new interaction layer across platforms. That drive explains many retirements — but it doesn’t remove the practical consequences for millions of users who built workflows around simple, fast, native utilities. This article verifies the retirement dates and technical recommendations using Microsoft’s own documentation and independent reporting, and it balances nostalgia with practical advice.- Microsoft formally ended support for the Windows Essentials / Movie Maker family in early 2017 (Windows Essentials 2012 reached end of support on January 10, 2017).
- Paint 3D was deprecated in August 2024 and removed from the Microsoft Store on November 4, 2024.
- Windows’ Mail, Calendar, and People apps stopped being supported for sending/receiving on December 31, 2024, as Microsoft moved users to the new Outlook for Windows.
- Microsoft Lens was announced for retirement on mobile; Microsoft states the app would be retired beginning September 15, 2025, removed from stores on November 15, 2025, and creating new scans would be disabled after December 15, 2025, with migration guidance pointing users to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- WordPad was removed from Windows starting with Windows 11, version 24H2 (Microsoft documents WordPad as removed in that release).
Windows Movie Maker — the approachable video editor that taught a generation to edit
A quick history and retirement timeline
Windows Movie Maker traces back to Windows Me (2000) and became a staple through XP and Vista. It later migrated into the Windows Essentials suite and then into Windows Live releases before the suite reached end‑of‑support. Microsoft’s Windows Essentials 2012, which included Windows Movie Maker, reached end of support on January 10, 2017; Microsoft removed the official downloads and warned against untrusted copies.Why it mattered
Movie Maker made timeline editing, adding titles, transitions, and simple audio tracks accessible to casual users and school kids. Its learning curve was shallow, and its output formats matched the needs of early YouTube and home video workflows. For many, it was the Windows equivalent of iMovie: fast, free, and forgiving.What replaced it (and why replacements fell short)
Microsoft suggested the Photos app’s video editor as an in‑OS alternative, and later Windows shifted users toward newer apps like Clipchamp (integrated into later Windows 11 builds). However:- The Photos editor prioritized basic slideshows and quick trims, lacking Movie Maker’s familiar timeline workflow.
- Clipchamp is a competent editor but evolved as a more modern, subscription‑friendly tool focused on cloud features, and it doesn’t replicate the simple, offline-first Movie Maker experience many users preferred.
Practical alternatives today
- For quick edits and free local workflows: use lightweight editors such as OpenShot or Shotcut.
- For integrated Windows experiences: Clipchamp or the Photos app — accept that the workflows differ.
- For power‑users needing fast assembly with a gentle learning curve: DaVinci Resolve (free tier) — but it’s heavier.
Paint 3D — an ambitious, approachable attempt at bringing 3D to the masses
What Paint 3D was and when it was removed
Paint 3D launched with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (2017) as a modern reimagining of MS Paint that added 3D object creation and remixing. However, Microsoft deprecated Paint 3D in August 2024 and removed it from the Microsoft Store on November 4, 2024; existing installations could continue to work but the app ceased being available for new installs. Microsoft directs users to Paint (classic) for 2D work and to 3D Viewer for viewing 3D content.Why Paint 3D failed to stick
Paint 3D tried to occupy a narrow middle ground: more than MS Paint but far less than professional tools like Blender. Casual users reverted to classic Paint for quick edits; hobbyists and creators gravitated to mature 3D suites. Paint 3D’s audience never scaled to justify continued investment, and Microsoft’s product priorities shifted away from this consumer‑focused 3D experiment. Coverage from major outlets tracked this shift and Microsoft’s official deprecation notices documented the Store removal.What was lost — and what remains
Paint 3D brought easy 3D object insertion, stickers, and a playful remixing community. Those affordances lowered the entry bar for students and hobbyists exploring 3D. With Paint 3D gone, there’s no direct Microsoft native app that replicates its simple 3D creation flow.Alternatives:
- For true 3D modeling: Blender (powerful but steeper learning curve).
- For simple 2D edits or doodles: classic Paint or paint.net.
- For web‑based, casual 3D: Tinkercad and other browser tools (good for education).
Mail (Mail, Calendar, People) — the lightweight built‑in email client that kept things simple
Official status and timeline
Microsoft ended support for the built‑in Windows Mail, Calendar, and People apps on December 31, 2024. After that date, those apps could no longer send or receive messages; Microsoft documented migration steps and urged users to move to the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook.com.Why users mourned Mail
Mail was lean, low‑overhead, and worked well for basic IMAP/POP/Gmail or Exchange access without the complexity of desktop Outlook. It was easy to set up and touch‑friendly, making it a default for many casual users and tablets.The replacement and its trade‑offs
Microsoft’s “new Outlook for Windows” consolidates features and pushes a unified experience across devices and the web. For many users this is an upgrade, but trade‑offs include:- A heavier UI and dependence on a cloud‑centric model for advanced features.
- Migration friction for users with local PST/IMAP setups or those who preferred simple native clients.
Migration checklist (practical steps)
- Export emails and contacts from Windows Mail/People (use the app’s export features).
- Install new Outlook for Windows (Microsoft Store or Outlook.com).
- Import the exported content into the new Outlook, or reconfigure accounts using IMAP or Exchange settings.
- Confirm calendar sync and recurring events — check shared calendars.
Microsoft Lens — the pocket scanner that made paper disappear
Retirement timeline and migration plan
Microsoft announced the retirement plan for Microsoft Lens on mobile: the app would begin retirement on September 15, 2025, be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on November 15, 2025, and stop allowing new scans after December 15, 2025. Microsoft’s guidance recommends migrating scanning workflows to the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, which now includes a scanning capability.Why Lens mattered
Lens offered free, frictionless scanning: receipts, business cards, whiteboards, and multi‑page documents to PDFs, with built‑in OCR and direct conversion to Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote. It was quick, accessible, and didn’t require a subscription — a genuinely useful utility for students, small businesses, and mobile workers.What will be missing at first in the Copilot replacement
Microsoft positions Copilot as a capable successor, but public notes and reporting indicate not all Lens features were present at launch in Copilot’s scanning interface. Examples include certain direct saving options and some accessibility features (users reported gaps in direct OneNote/Word/PowerPoint saving, business card scanning, and Immersive Reader/read‑aloud parity). These differences mean some workflows will require modification or temporary workarounds. Where Microsoft’s published retirement note or product FAQ doesn’t enumerate every gap, this is a functional risk users should plan for.Migration and alternatives
- Short term: export existing Lens scans (if possible) and back them up to OneDrive or local storage before the deadlines in November/December 2025.
- Alternatives if Copilot’s scanning feature lacks needed tools:
- Adobe Scan (robust OCR and PDF handling).
- Google Drive/Google Photo scan features for simple scanning.
- Dedicated business card apps (CamCard, ABBYY Business Card Reader) for contact capture and vCard export.
WordPad — the old‑school, no‑fluff rich text editor
Official removal and context
Microsoft removed WordPad from Windows starting with Windows 11, version 24H2. Microsoft’s documentation lists WordPad as removed beginning in that release and recommends Microsoft Word or Notepad depending on file type needs. The deprecation was part of a sweep of features adjusted or removed in 24H2.Why WordPad mattered
WordPad occupied a rare middle ground: richer formatting than Notepad (.RTF support), but far lighter than Microsoft Word. For quick letters, snippets of formatted text, or opening RTF files without Office licensed, WordPad did the job. It was a pragmatic tool for casual users and public kiosks.What to do now
- If you need simple formatting and no Office subscription: consider free alternatives such as LibreOffice Writer or Google Docs for basic documents, and Notepad for plain text.
- If you still have WordPad‑dependent workflows and want to keep the exact app: avoid upgrading to Windows 11 24H2 on machines that must retain WordPad, or create a VM running a prior Windows build — but note this only postpones the inevitable and may carry support/security implications.
Cross‑cutting analysis: strengths Microsoft gained, but also the real risks and losses
Strengths behind Microsoft’s decisions
- Consolidation reduces fragmentation: fewer maintenance targets for Microsoft means resources can be concentrated on core experiences and security.
- AI and cloud parity: moving capabilities into Microsoft 365 and Copilot builds a consistent, intelligent surface across devices and platforms.
- Modern UX consistency: as Windows shifts to a modern visual language and cloud features, older UWP/WPF apps that no longer fit the strategy are easier to retire.
Risks and user costs
- Loss of frictionless, offline-first workflows: several retired apps were locally focused and free; replacements often push users toward cloud sign‑ins, subscriptions, or heavier apps.
- Accessibility and feature regressions: retirements sometimes remove accessibility features and small but vital functionality (e.g., Lens’s read‑aloud or business‑card capture parity). Microsoft’s Copilot roadmap may address these gaps, but interim feature gaps create practical barriers.
- Data migration friction: retiring apps with local stores (Mail, Lens) requires explicit exports; casual users may lose data or face confusing migration steps if they miss deadlines.
- Community and education impact: apps like Movie Maker and Paint 3D lowered the barrier to learning video or 3D concepts — their absence narrows accessible entry points for learners without access to heavier software or Macs.
Practical advice: what users should do now
For everyone
- Back up any local content from retired or retiring apps immediately (export emails, save Lens scans, preserve Movie Maker project files if you still have them).
- Read Microsoft’s retirement support or migration articles for exact deadlines and recommended steps.
Specific recommendations
- Migrating from Mail → Outlook:
- Export using Mail’s export features.
- Install new Outlook for Windows from the Microsoft Store, then import or reconnect accounts.
- Saving Lens content before removal:
- Export all scans to OneDrive or local storage.
- Transition scanning workflows to Microsoft 365 Copilot or a third‑party scanner app if Copilot lacks features you need.
- Replacing Paint 3D functionality:
- Use Paint for 2D; use Blender or Tinkercad for 3D projects depending on complexity.
- Replacing and protecting WordPad use:
- Migrate documents to LibreOffice or Word if rich text is needed; keep Notepad for plain text workflows. If you must keep WordPad, defer the 24H2 update with caution and a clear timeline.
If you want the same old app experience
- Explore lightweight third‑party apps that replicate the simplicity of the retired apps.
- Consider running an older Windows VM or spare device for legacy workflows — but track security and support lifecycle implications carefully.
The bigger picture: product strategy vs. everyday productivity
Microsoft’s product pruning reflects a broad corporate strategy: prioritize cloud and AI, unify experiences, and reduce maintenance overhead. That logic makes sense at a portfolio level. Yet product strategy is not value‑neutral; it trades the convenience of unified tools for the loss of unobtrusive, offline utilities that thousands of users quietly cherished.- Where Microsoft gains efficiency and scale, users sometimes lose accessibility and simplicity.
- Where Microsoft substitutes a heavier, cloud‑centric tool, many users simply need a lightweight, offline utility that "just works."
Conclusion
The five retired apps discussed here — Windows Movie Maker, Paint 3D, Mail (Windows Mail/Calendar/People), Microsoft Lens, and WordPad — reflect the cost of a platform company reinventing itself: focus and modern features for many users, and loss and friction for others. Microsoft’s official timelines and migration guidance are clear and publicly documented; users facing these transitions owe it to themselves to back up data and plan migrations before the final cut‑over dates.There’s a case to be made for Microsoft to preserve lightweight, discoverable tools that act as gateways for creativity and convenience — or at least to provide solid, low‑friction alternatives that retain the spirit of those apps. Until then, the Windows ecosystem will be a mix of new, powerful cloud experiences and a resurgent market for third‑party utilities that let everyday users do the small things swiftly and without ceremony. The nostalgia is real; the practical steps forward are discoverable and manageable — if users act now to safeguard their data and adapt their workflows.
Source: Pocket-lint 5 forgotten Microsoft apps that I wish were still around