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Windows Central
Windows Central
Technology
Sean Endicott

Windows 11 will soon lose the Maps app forever, affecting dozens of users — RIP a Windows Phone relic

Windows Maps on Windows Phone.

Microsoft will remove its Maps app from the Microsoft Store in July 2025. At that time, the app will receive an "update" that will make it nonfunctional. The tech giant outlines the end of Maps in a support document.

Following the July 2025 cutoff, it will not be possible to reinstall the Maps app even if you've had it installed previously. If you keep the app, it will retain personal data and files, such as saved navigation routes or map URLs, but they will not function within the app after July 2025.

While it's fun to joke about Bing Maps and find any excuse to share the following clip from Family Guy, it's important to note that Bing Maps is not going away. Microsoft is deprecating the Maps app on Windows 11. Bing Maps lives on as a service through bing.com/maps.

The Maps app dates back to the days of Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile. I doubt that many used it on a PC for guided navigation, but that's just a guess.

The web version of Bing Maps supports "streetside," which is Microsoft's equivalent to Google Street View. Based on how my own home looks on Bing Maps, I'd say Family Guy's joke is pretty accurate.

Those who want to use a maps app on Windows 11 can use the mostly functional web version of Apple Maps that's still in beta testing or switch to Google Maps.

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