Microsoft Paint will move to the Windows Store

Microsoft plans to remove Microsoft Paint from the Windows 10 operating system and make the app available through Windows Store instead.

Microsoft revealed removed and deprecated features of the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update version of the operating system recently.

The long standing default image editor of Windows, Microsoft Paint, was listed under deprecated. Many sites out there reported wrongly that Microsoft would remove Microsoft Paint from the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.

Deprecated means however that the feature is no longer developed actively and that it may be removed in a future version of Windows 10.

Microsoft published a blog post on the official Windows Experience blog to clarify its plans for Microsoft Paint.

MS Paint is here to stay, it will just have a new home soon, in the Windows Store where it will be available for free.

According to the announcement, Microsoft Paint will be removed from Windows 10, but it will be offered through the Windows Store. Users who want to continue using Paint can download and install the application from the Store to do so.

It is unclear at this point whether that means that Paint is going to be removed in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update after all, or if this is happening in a future version of the operating system.

While Microsoft did not provide a lot of information, it seems likely that the company will port the Win32 legacy program so that it turns into a Windows 10 application that offers the same functionality.

Microsoft continues its work on Paint 3D. Paint 3D will become the default image editor on Windows 10 when Paint is removed from the operating system.

The new application features 3D capabilities and a new interface when compared to the classic Microsoft Paint application.

Anyway, Windows 10 users who use Microsoft Paint may download the app from Windows Store if they want to continue using it. Some users will do so, others will probably use Paint 3D or install a third-party image editor directly instead.

Closing Words

Moving Microsoft Paint to Windows Store is better than removing the application directly without alternative. The move will irritate some users however; those who don't use Windows Store, and those who use a local account on a Home edition of Windows 10 as they cannot download anything from Store without using a Microsoft Account.

It is unclear when Microsoft Paint will be removed from the operating system though as Microsoft did not mention that.

Now You: Are you affected by the removal of Microsoft Paint?