Windows Maps Will Become "Nonfunctional" This July

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Microsoft is officially sidesplitting disconnected Windows Maps. The desktop app, which dates backmost to 2014, volition go nonfunctional successful July 2025. This alteration does not impact Bing Maps.

Windows Maps initially launched during Microsoft's "Metro" era, erstwhile the institution was trying to propulsion into smartphone and tablet markets. And, arsenic idiosyncratic who owned a Windows Phone, I tin corroborate that Windows Maps was a beauteous coagulated app. But it benignant of became useless aft the decease of Windows Phone. Microsoft stopped putting successful the effort but continued bundling Windows Maps with the Windows operating strategy (and Xbox, oddly enough).

So, Microsoft dilatory dismantled Windows Maps. It killed disconnected cardinal app functionality, specified arsenic offline support, and stopped bundling Windows Maps with the Windows 11 operating strategy during the 24H2 rollout precocious past year. The decease of this app has been a agelong clip coming, and successful each honesty, I'm amazed that it wasn't killed disconnected sooner.

"Maps is deprecated and volition beryllium removed from the Microsoft Store by July 2025. At this time, determination volition besides beryllium a last update to the app from the Store that makes it nonfunctional. If you region the app earlier July 2025, you tin inactive reinstall it from the Store, but past July 2025 you won't beryllium capable to reinstall it. You'll beryllium capable to uninstall the app astatine immoderate time. Any idiosyncratic information oregon files you person saved, specified arsenic guided navigation oregon URLs to maps, won't beryllium removed, but they'll nary longer relation successful the Maps app past July 2025. If you privation to inactive usage maps powered by the Bing service, delight sojourn https://www.bing.com/maps. Maps is nary longer preinstalled with Windows starting with the Windows 11, mentation 24H2 release."

Microsoft says that Windows Maps volition go "nonfunctional" successful July 2025. Personal data, addresses, and routes that you've saved to Windows Maps tin inactive beryllium accessed aft July, but you won't beryllium capable to usage the app for navigation. For reference, determination doesn't look to beryllium a mode to migrate saved information retired of Windows Maps. If you're moving to a caller navigation app, you whitethorn request to manually transcript implicit addresses and different info.

As for which navigation app you should use—well, Bing Maps is the closest you'll get to a existent Windows Maps replacement. There's besides Google Maps and Apple Maps, of course. All of these services are web-based, but you tin add them to your Windows desktop for a much autochthonal app-like experience. These 3 apps are besides disposable connected mobile, meaning that you tin sync navigation information betwixt your desktop PC and your telephone aft logging into an account.

Microsoft has killed disconnected respective Windows apps successful the past twelvemonth oregon so, including the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) and Paint 3D. The decease of Windows Maps, portion unsurprising, leaves yet different spread successful the Windows operating system. Still, I uncertainty that excessively galore radical volition mourn Windows Maps, arsenic determination are plentifulness of bully alternatives.

Source: Microsoft via Neowin