I was alarmed when I learned that Microsoft was abandoning one of its Paint apps in Windows 11 (and 10)—until I discovered that the app in question was Paint 3D.
In case you haven’t noticed, there are two Paint apps for Windows 11: Paint, a modernized version of the classic app, and Paint 3D, which was introduced back in 2016 as a replacement and was supposed to enable the use of 3D features in your creations.
However, Microsoft never managed to fully support Paint 3D, and it fell by the wayside—in fact, the software was removed from the list of default apps in Windows 10 in early 2021. While you can still download Paint 3D from the Microsoft Store in Windows 11 (or 10) today, that soon won’t be the case.
As leaker PhantomOfEarth noted on X – along with Windows Latest – A new warning banner has appeared informing Windows 11 users about the impending removal of Paint 3D from the Store.
The warning reads: “Starting November 4, 2024, Paint 3D will no longer be available in the Microsoft Store and will no longer receive updates.”
This is followed by a link “More information”, which leads to a website There, Microsoft provides further information and confirms the date when Paint 3D will no longer be available on both Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Paint 3D now has a banner indicating that it will no longer receive updates and will no longer be available in the Microsoft Store starting November 4. pic.twitter.com/ksPg1Irdjo10 August 2024
Paint 3D looks pretty shabby these days
At this point, there is undoubtedly only a small niche of Windows users who are fans of Paint 3D – although they will no doubt be upset by the news of the app’s demise.
However, Microsoft hasn’t paid any attention to Paint 3D in a long time, as evidenced by some of the reviews on the Microsoft Store that bemoan the app’s poor maintenance. A common problem with Paint 3D is that when you right-click on an image and select the “Open with…” option, the app no longer appears in the flyout menu, making opening an image a much more cumbersome process.
If you’re interested in 3D photo editing and are thinking about using Paint 3D, you’d better download and install the app from the Microsoft Store while you still can. Despite the complaints mentioned, the app’s overall rating is pretty high. You never know: if Microsoft hears enough about Paint 3D being discontinued entirely, it might change its mind – and bring Paint 3D back to the Microsoft Store as an optional app.
After all, Microsoft changed course pretty quickly with its predecessor and my personal favorite childhood app, Paint.
