If you’ve ever relied on your smartphone for navigation, you might not have given much thought to Windows Maps. This lack of engagement is precisely why Microsoft has decided to phase out the application.
Transitioning Away from Windows Maps
As part of its ongoing effort to streamline features within the Windows ecosystem, Microsoft has announced that Windows Maps will be deprecated by April. Following this timeline, the app will be removed from the Windows Store by July and will cease to receive support thereafter. A forthcoming update in July will deactivate the Maps app entirely.
Microsoft reassured users that while any personal data or files saved—such as guided navigation or URLs to maps—will remain intact, they will no longer function within the Maps app after July 2025. Additionally, new PCs running future versions of Windows 11 will not come preinstalled with the Maps app beyond the current 24H2 release.
However, users need not worry about losing access to mapping services altogether. Windows Maps will still be accessible through Bing’s dedicated maps page, ensuring that navigation remains at users’ fingertips, albeit through a different platform.
Once a staple for Windows Phone users, Maps has become a relic of a bygone era, especially since the mobile operating system itself has long been discontinued. With little justification for retaining the app, Microsoft has opted to eliminate it, trimming unnecessary components from the Windows installation.
Interestingly, Maps has been known for its data sourced from both TomTom and Microsoft. It even made headlines in the past for its controversial renaming of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” For those who found that change irksome, the discontinuation of Maps may come as a welcome relief.
