Microsoft is ending Paint 3D and will retire the app later this year

What you need to know

Microsoft plans to remove Paint 3D from the Microsoft Store later this year.
Users will not be able to download the app from November 4.
The company says it will no longer provide updates to the Paint 3D app from this date.

Microsoft is ending its modern Paint 3D app this year. As of November 4, the Paint 3D app will no longer be available for download through the Microsoft Store, and the company says it will no longer update the app in the future. People who already have the app installed will likely still be able to use it.

Paint 3D was first introduced with the Windows 10 Creators Update in 2017 and was intended to eventually replace the classic Paint app on Windows as it featured a newer and more modern user interface, new 2D and 3D painting features, PNG and layers support, and many other features.

Paint 3D 2024 App — Paint 3D displays a warning stating that as of November 4, the program will no longer be available for download. (Image Source: Windows Central)

The app was promoted as part of Microsoft’s brief obsession with 3D objects, when the company was convinced that HoloLens would play a major role in the future of computing. At the time, Microsoft was planning to bring 3D object scanning to Windows Phones, which would tie in with Paint 3D and HoloLens.

Unfortunately, while Paint 3D was initially praised for its new features and interface, it eventually became clear that most users preferred the simpler and easier-to-use classic Paint app, which at the time had not been updated in over a decade. Microsoft attempted to phase out classic Paint in favor of Paint 3D, but after much negative feedback, decided to abandon that plan.

Now, in a strange twist, Paint 3D is being retired and the classic Paint app for Windows has been updated with a host of new features and a modern interface since the launch of Windows 11 in 2021.

Paint 3D joins a host of other Windows 10-era apps that will be retired over the course of Windows 11’s lifecycle. Cortana, Mail and Calendar, Tips, and other apps have all been retired in similar fashion over the past few years.

By @phantomofearth on X