Microsoft is ninja-killing yet another iconic Windows app this year

Microsoft is apparently keen to cut its popular legacy Windows applications with storied histories. Following the official deprecation of WordPad, another app is now heading to the chopping block by the end of this year and will no longer be supported with updates.

We’re talking about Paint 3D, the revised version of Microsoft Paint that’s been available since 2016. Back in 2017, we gave it an honest try and found that Paint 3D was actually a lot of fun to use.

A few days ago, X/Twitter user @phantomofearth spotted a banner in the app informing them that Paint 3D would be removed from the Microsoft Store and deprecated starting on November 4, 2024:

Why is Paint 3D being deprecated?

While Microsoft hasn’t officially given word on why Paint 3D is being discontinued, one Microsoft Vendor said that it’s because Paint 3D “didn’t gain much traction among users” and “most users preferred the simplicity of the original Paint app.”

It makes sense that Microsoft would want to concentrate its efforts on the version of Paint that most users prefer. There are already some extra features available for Windows Insiders to test, like new size controls for pens and brushes as well as some new options for the eraser.

Nevertheless, this version of Paint remains in the two-dimensional world for the time being, so it doesn’t come anywhere close to the diverse possibilities of Paint 3D. It’s especially tragic because Paint 3D was so beginner-friendly — now users will likely have to switch to a more complex application, such as Blender.

Related: Awesome open-source apps for every possible need

Why Paint 3D was so great

Paint 3D was a useful extension of the popular Windows image editing tool that added several new features. Instead of just 2D graphics, you could create, rotate, and edit objects in 3D. You could also add effects and backgrounds to bring the image to life.

Originally, Paint 3D was even supposed to replace Paint altogether, but they both ran in parallel for a long while. Starting in 2021, Paint 3D stopped being installed by default and had to be downloaded manually from the Microsoft Store. Perhaps that should’ve been a clue that Paint 3D was on its way towards being wound down.

Nevertheless, the end of Paint 3D is surprising since Microsoft never gave any official indication that it’d stop being supported. The fact that the end date is only three months away is doubly surprising.

Further reading: Microsoft Paint’s new Cocreator feature is an unexpectedly awesome AI treat