New Windows 10 laptops and desktops all have one thing in common with upgraded PCs. There are tons of pre-installed Windows 10 apps and games on them.
Every PC, no matter where you purchased it, has these pre-installed Windows 10 apps and games. A new PC comes filled with links to Candy Crush Soda Saga, Minecraft and Solitaire. Microsoft also tries to improve Windows with pre-installed apps of its own. The Mail, Calendar, Photos, Groove Music and Movies & TV apps are fine if you’re looking a new app to handle your files and manage your apps. If you aren’t, they’re just hogging storage space on your PC and acting as placeholders in your Start Menu.
How easy a pre-installed Windows 10 app or game is to remove depends on who installed it. Virus scanners and utilities installed by your PC’s maker take just a few clicks to delete. Deleting apps that Microsoft added to Windows 10, like Mail or Calendar, are a lot harder.
Here’s how to remove pre-installed Windows 10 apps and games from your laptop, desktop or tablet.
To remove pre-installed Windows 10 apps and games from your PC, press the Start key on your keyboard or click on the Start button at the bottom-left corner of your screen. This should open the Start area.
With the Start area open. Type Add or Remove programs in the search box and press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Now find any app or game that you want to remove from your PC in the list. Click on its icon.
Now click on the Uninstall button to delete it from your system.
Wait a few moments for Windows 10 to remove the app. Keep scrolling down the list and removing apps and games you don’t want or need. Though you can uninstall them without harming your PC, avoid removing utilities that your PC’s maker installed to keep your system running. Apps you should keep include programs that allow you to change your PC’s settings, get help from support and install the latest drivers.
With that done, go back to Start by pressing the Start button your keyboard again.
Some PC makers don’t install an entire app or game on your system. Instead, they fill Start with links that take you to the Microsoft Store. Right-click on any app or game that’s on Start that you don’t think you will use. Inside the menu, click on Uninstall if you see it there. If you don’t see it there, click on Unpin from Start.
Removing Microsoft’s and apps and games from Windows 10 is more complicated. They appear in the installed apps and games list, but you can’t remove them. This is because Microsoft says features inside Windows 10 depend on these apps, and removing them would break those features.
Luckily, 10AppsManager exists. This free program allows you to remove pre-installed Windows 10 apps. Just remember, you may not be able to get these apps working again unless you refresh Windows 10.
Before you go any further, use Gotta Be Mobile’s How to Make a Full Back Up of Windows 10guide to save a copy of Windows and all your files. Restore those files if something goes wrong with Windows after you remove the preinstalled apps.
Download 10AppsManager here. Look for a pop-up at the button of your screen. Click on Open instead of Save.
Once the download has finished and the folder opens, drag the 10AppsManager file out of the folder and to your Desktop.
Open the 10AppsManager folder on your desktop. Now double-click on 10AppsManager app. Windows 10 will ask you to confirm that you opened the app.
Click on all the pre-installed Windows 10 apps you want to remove from your PC. If you don’t want any of these apps installed, click on the Remove All button. In general, if you plan to use any apps from the Microsoft Store or keep your PC updated, do not remove the Store app. Also, some features now depend on updates from the Microsoft Store.
To reinstall any of these apps, open 10AppsManager again and click the Reinstall button at the bottom of the tool. If this doesn’t get the apps back, use this How to Reset Your Windows 10 PCtutorial to restore your PC to factory settings.
Apple’s latest upgrade is causing battery drain issues for iPhone and iPad users and today we want to show you how to quickly fix the bad iOS 11 battery life plaguing your device.
If you run into major battery life problems while running iOS 11.2.2 you might start thinking about a downgrade to an older version of iOS 11.
While downgrading is certainly an option, you’ll want to try and iron out your battery life issues before you give up on Apple’s latest update.
Our guide to fixing bad iOS 11 battery life on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch will provide you with some proven fixes and also some strategies to use if your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch battery life starts acting up.
Some of the steps here only require a few seconds of your time. Others could take you a lot longer. Here are a few things to try before taking your phone or tablet down to your local (if you have one) Apple Store.
Restart Your Device
Sometimes a simple restart can help your device overcome abnormal battery drain. If you start noticing weird iOS 11 battery drain, try restarting your phone or tablet. Hold the power button, swipe, and hold the power button to turn it back on.
Download the Latest iOS 11 Update
If you’re having issues on iOS 11.0, iOS 11.0.1, iOS 11.0.2, iOS 11.0.3, iOS 11.1, iOS 11.1.1, iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.2, or iOS 11.2.1, try upgrading to the iOS 11.2.2 update.
Use Wi-Fi When You Can
Using cellular data (LTE, 4G) can suck up your phone’s power. When you can, use Wi-Fi. It uses less power than a cellular network.
Check Your Apps
Apple’s iOS updates aren’t supposed to have a negative impact on your battery life and there’s a good chance it’s something other than the operating system causing the problem.
Apps like Facebook have been known to suck up battery life and there’s a very good chance you’ve got a rotten apple on board your iPhone or iPad. Applications and services will often act up after a major iOS release.
Before you do anything else, check your apps. Go into your Settings > Battery and check out the Battery Usage tool. It will show you the apps doing the most damage to your device’s battery.
If you notice an app draining a ton of battery, try deleting the app to see if things improve. You can always re-install it if you determine it’s not the source of the drain.
If you’d prefer to keep the app, try installing the latest bug fix to see if that helps. Developers will roll out iOS 11 support updates and these should help performance.
Update YouTube
The YouTube app was reportedly causing severe battery drain for some iOS 11 users. If you’re noticing extremely battery drain when using the app, you will need to curb your use or update the app with the latest bug fixes.Version 12.45 fixes an issue with battery usage.
If your battery life is draining rapidly while using YouTube and you’re positive it has nothing to do with how much you’re using it, update the app.
Disable Vibrations
Your device might vibrate whenever you receive a phone call or a message. These alerts are useful but they make the hardware inside your phone work and this work requires power.
If you’re fine without vibrations, you can always use a ring tone to alert you to new messages and calls, try shutting them off. It could help.
To do this go to Settings > Sounds and toggle Vibrate on Ring and Vibrate on Silent off. You’ll also want to go into each individual Sound and Vibration and make sure Vibration (located at the top of the screen) is set to none.
Manage Your Display
Your display can be a battery life killer if you don’t manage it properly.
The sensors inside your iPhone or iPad will adjust the screen automatically in certain lighting environments. Sometimes these sensors work as advertised. Sometimes they don’t. If your screen is bright for no reason, you might be costing yourself some battery life.
If you’re up to it, try manually adjusting your display to suit your lighting conditions. To do this, you’ll need to turn Auto Brightness off.
Go into Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Auto-Brightness > Off. Once you’ve shut it off, you’ll need to manually adjust your screen brightness. Fortunately, this is simple on iOS 11.
Simply pull up Control Center (swipe up from the bottom of your phone) and adjust the screen as needed. You can also adjust it in the Settings app.
Disable Raise to Wake
iOS 11’s Raise to Wake feature is handy but turning it off could save you a few battery percentage points.
If you don’t need your screen to automatically turn on whenever you pickup your device, go into the Settings app > Display & Brightness and toggle the Raise to Wake function off.
You can always turn it back on if you don’t see any improvements to your device’s overall battery life.
Kill Background Refresh
iOS’ Background App Refresh feature lets your apps refresh in the background in order to show you the latest data when you open them. It’s a nice perk but it’s also a resource hog.
Most people probably don’t need this feature enabled. To disable it, go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh > and turn it off for apps you don’t use.
You can also turn Background App Refresh off completely if you don’t want to go through your list of applications one by one. If you have a ton of apps, the process can be extremely tedious.
You can always turn the feature back on if you don’t notice any gains.
Avoid Dynamic Backgrounds
Animated wallpapers look great but they can be a drain on your device’s battery. If you want to save your battery you’ll want to use static backgrounds. Fortunately, iOS 11 delivers new static wallpapers.
Turn Off Fitness Tracking
Your iPhone comes with a motion co-processor that can track your steps and other activities. If you’re trying to stay in shape we’ll understand if you want to keep this feature on. If you don’t use your phone to track your fitness try turning the non-stop tracking off.
To do this head into your Settingsapp and tap on Privacy. From there, select Motion & Fitness and toggle the Fitness Tracking function off. You might also want to toggle off any apps listed below Fitness Tracking in that menu.
Use Low Power Mode & Put It In Control Center
iOS 11’s Low Power Mode can help you save battery life and it’s a feature you’ll want to get familiar with if you haven’t done so already.
Low Power Mode’s been around for a couple of years now but we still hear from people who don’t use it or don’t know what we’re talking about.
In a nut shell, Low Power Mode shuts off functions that could be draining your battery. For instance, Hey Siri, automatic downloads, and mail fetch. You can turn Low Power Mode on and off any time.
Customize the iOS 11 Control Center.
To do that, head into Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode > and toggle it On whenever you need to save a few percentage points. We also recommend putting it in Control Center for easy access.
Apple’s iOS 11 allows you to customize Control Center (the menu that pops up when you swipe up from the bottom of the screen). We recommend storing a shortcut to Low Power Mode in Control Center for easy access.
To do that, head to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and tap the green plus sign next to Low Power Mode.
Use Airplane Mode
If you start noticing rapid battery drain, turn on Airplane Mode.
Airplane Mode, which can be accessed via the Settings app or Control Center, kills all of your connections including Bluetooth, cellular data, and Wi-Fi.
If you’re in an area with spotty service, your phone is going to be working hard to get a signal. When your phone is working hard, your battery is probably draining. Airplane Mode will prevent this.
Disable Widgets
Widgets are everywhere in iOS 11 and they could ruin your battery life if you’re not careful.
If you don’t use widgets or simply want to get a handle on them, swipe over to the right while you’re on your device’s home screen.
On this screen, scroll all the way to bottom of your widgets and select Edit. It’s the circular icon. You should now see a list of services and apps. These are your widgets. To deactivate a widget, tap the red circle with the white line and tap Remove.
It’ll be a hard habit to break for some of you but if you can manage you could see a positive effect.
Turn Off Assistive Touch
iOS 11’s Assistive Touch might be draining your device’s battery. If you don’t need Assistive Touch on your device, try turning it off.
To turn off Assistive Touch, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch, and toggle it off.
Reset All Settings
Once you’ve exhausted those options, it’s time to go nuclear. First, we recommend resetting your Settings.
To do this, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings and then enter your passcode if you have one enabled on your device.
The process could take a few minutes and it will restore your device’s settings to their factory defaults so make sure you have all of your Wi-Fi passwords handy because your device will forget them.
Downgrade
If you were having a great experience on a previous version of iOS 11 you could try downgrading your device to see if that improves your device’s battery life.
We’ve put together a downgrade guide that will take you through the steps necessary to drop back down to an older version of iOS 11.
Apple tends to close up these loopholes pretty quickly so downgrading won’t always be an option.
Restore as New
If you’ve owned your iPhone or iPad for awhile, you might try restoring the device from a backup. Or, if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can try restoring the device as new.
You can do this via iTunes or iCloud and depending on your skill level and situation, it could take you more than 30 minutes to complete.
Buy a Battery Case or Battery Bank
If you’re willing to spend money to improve your battery you might think about buying a battery case or a battery bank.
If you’d prefer not to cover up your phone with a bulky case, and battery cases are bulky, you might opt for a battery bank.
Battery banks are small and lightweight gadgets that give you multiple charges. One such device, the RAVPower battery pack can give you six full iPhone charges.
If you're on iOS 11.2.1, your iOS 11.2.2 update includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre. If you're running an older version of iOS, your iOS 11.2.2 will come with a lot more.
Apple's iOS 11.2 update fixed several problems, but it also brought problems of its own including a potentially nasty zero-day iOS HomeKit vulnerability.
The vulnerability, discovered by Tian Zhang, allowed for unauthorized control of HomeKit accessories including garage door openers and smart locks.
Apple quickly rolled out a server-side fix, but the company restored full functionality with the release of iOS 11.2.1. If you skipped iOS 11.2.1 and use HomeKit, you should download iOS 11.2.2.
If you skipped iOS 11.2, you'll get a few more patches with your iOS 11.2.2 update. Apple's iOS 11.2 update delivered 11 patches including one for Mail and one for Wi-Fi.
The iOS 11.2 and iOS 11.2.1 updates also patched up a widespread security issue called "Meltdown." Apple says its analysis suggests it "has the most potential to be exploited."
Meltdown affects all iOS 11 powered devices so we highly recommend downloading iOS 11.2.2 if you skipped iOS 11.2.
If you skipped iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.1.1, and iOS 11.1, you'll get additional patches with your iOS 11.2.2 update.
The iOS 11.1 update delivered eight security patches including a fix for a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability called KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack. KRACK is an exploit that targets the common WPA2 encryption protocol.
If you're just now making to move from iOS 10 (or whatever you're on) to iOS 11, your iOS 11.2.2 update will come with additional security features.
Apple's first iOS 11 update delivered several patches for potential exploits. iOS 11 also comes with new security features aimed at keeping your data safe. Elcomsoft recently discovered a change to the way iOS deals with trusted devices.
In iOS 11 you can't establish trust with a PC using fingerprints alone. You'll also need to put in a full passcode in order to gain that trust.
If you skipped older versions of iOS, your iOS 11.2.2 update will come with an even longer list of security patches.
Apple's iOS 10.3.3 update delivered 24 security patches addressing potential issues with Contacts, Messages, Notifications, and Safari. It also included a patch for a potentially dangerous Wi-Fi exploit called "Broadpwn."
If you skipped iOS 10.3.2 you'll get 23 additional patches in iOS 11.2.2. And if for some reason you missed iOS 10.3, you'll get 60 security patches with your version of iOS 11.2.2.
If you want to protect the data you store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you should make your move to iOS 11.2.2 soon.
If your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch starts freezing, lagging, or rebooting after installing iOS 11 and iOS 11.2.2, we have a few solutions to try before taking your device into an Apple Store for a checkup.
Apple’s newest iOS 11 update comes with a nice set of bug fixes, but problems are plaguing thoserunning the iOS 11.2.2 update on their device.
The list of iOS 11 problems including various bugs and performance issues including stuttering, app lockups, random reboots, user interface lag, freezes, and more.
iOS performance issues are extremely frustrating but there are some things to try before you give up and get in contact with Apple’s customer support. Some of you might even be able to fix your iOS 11 performance issues in seconds.
This guide to fixing poor iOS 11.0, iOS 11.0.1, iOS 11.0.2, iOS 11.0.3, iOS 11.1, iOS 11.1.1, iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.2, iOS 11.2.1, and iOS 11.2.2 performance will provide you with some tips that’ve worked for us on previous versions of iOS software.
There’s no guarantee they’ll work for you and your device but they’re worth a shot if you can’t stand iOS 11’s performance on your iPhone or iPad.
Restart Your Device
The first thing you’ll want to do is restart your phone or tablet.
This might seem ridiculous but a simple restart could get you back on track. Power down your device by holding the power button, swipe to turn it off, and then power it back on.
Install the Latest iOS 11 Update
If you’re running an older version of iOS 11 and you’re noticing performance issues, try installing the iOS 11.2.2 update and see if that helps.
Reset Your Network Settings
If you’re noticing slow download speeds after installing the latest iOS 11 update, try resetting your device’s network settings.
Go into your Settings app > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will cause your device to forget your Wi-Fi passwords so make sure you have those handy before you make your move.
You can also try resetting all of your device’s settings from the same menu. Simply tap Reset All Settings. This will restore your device’s settings to their factory defaults so, again, make sure you write down those Wi-Fi passwords.
Do Some Cleanup
If you’ve owned your device for awhile you’ve probably accumulated all sorts of apps, photos, and videos you no longer need. Getting rid of this clutter could improve your device’s overall speed.
In order to check how much space you’re using, head into your Settings > General > Storage & iCloud Usage and select Manage Storage.
If you’re running out of space on your iPad or iPhone, head back into General and then scroll down to where it says iPhone Storage or iPad Storage if you’re on a tablet.
Apple’s iOS 11 update gives you an extremely detailed look the stuff you’re storing on your device. It also makes some recommendations based on your utilization of your device’s hard drive. You might want to take Apple’s advice.
Update Your Apps
If your applications are starting to act up make sure they’re updated.
Developers are going to be rolling out iOS 11 support updates with bug fixes and improvements. If you start experiencing issues with an app, you’ll want to look into these updates.
Head into the new App Store and read reviews from iOS 11, iOS 11.0.1, iOS 11.0.2, and iOS 11.0.3 users. If they’re mostly good, you should install the latest version of the app on your device.
Stop Automatic Downloads
If you have trouble keeping pace with app updates, iOS’ automatic feature can be useful. That said, the constant stream of updates can make your device work in the background which can potentially lead to poor performance.
If you don’t have a problem with manually updating your apps, at least temporarily, try disabling Automatic Downloads on your device.
Go to Settings > iTunes & App Store. Once you’re there, you’ll want to toggle the switch to turn off Updates located in the Automatic Downloads section. You might toggle the other options off as well.
Disable Widgets
Widgets can be useful but they also make your device’s hardware work. Disabling widgets you no longer need could help improve iOS 11’s performance on your iPhone or iPad.
While you’re on the home screen, swipe to the right. Scroll all the way to bottom of the list and tap on Edit. It’s that little circular icon.
On the next screen you should see a long list of services and apps. These are your active and inactive widgets. To disable a widget on your device, tap the red circle with the white line and tap Remove.
You can remove as many as you want and you can always flip them back on if you don’t notice an improvement to your device’s performance.
Clear Browser Cookies & Data
Clearing your browser’s cookies and data will free up memory and help speed up your device.
If you use Apple’s Safari browser go into your Settings > Safari > and scroll down to where it says Clear History and Website Data. Tap it.
Tapping this will remove your browsing history, cookies, and other data from Safari. History will also be cleared from any devices signed into your iCloud account. If you’re fine with that, tap Clear History and Data again.
If you’re using Google’s Chrome browser on your device, you’ll want to head into the app itself and tap the three vertical circles in the top right corner.
Once you’re in there, tap Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data. You can now select what you wish to delete. If you’re noticing serious lag, you might want to start fresh.
If that’s the case, select them all (you’ll notice a check mark on the right once you’ve done this) and then click Clear Browsing Data.
Stop Background Refresh
Background App Refresh works in the background to keep your apps updated with fresh data. For instance your Facebook feed will constantly be updated without having to actually open up the app.
If you don’t need your apps working in the background try Turning Background App Refresh off. It could help improve performance.
Head into Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle Background Refresh off. This will shut it down completely.
You can also go down your list of apps one-by-one and make your selections on a case-by-case basis. This is tedious but it’s the route to take if you want to keep this feature live for your core applications.
Reduce Your Animations
If you start noticing choppy animations, try toning them down.
iOS 11 provides a sense a depth when you tilt your device and open and close your apps. If you minimize this feature it could improve performance.
To reduce Motion Effects on your device, head into Settings > General > Accessibility and toggle Reduce Motion on. Before you do, note that reducing Motion Effects will disable some features like the bubble effect in the Messages app.
You’ll also want to reduce transparency and blur effects. To reduce transparency, head into Accessibility > tap Increase Contrast and then tap the toggle to turn on the Reduce Transparency function.
Start Over
If none of those tips help, and you can’t find a fix anywhere else, you might want to downgrade or start fresh and factory reset your phone or tablet.
If Apple is currently signing off on an older iOS update you can downgrade. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, take a look at our guide.
If you can’t take your device into an Apple Store, a factory reset is the nuclear option. It will take some time but it could fix your performance issues.
If everything is backed up and good to go and you’re ready for a clean slate, head into Settings > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings to get the process started.
4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 11.2.2 & 10 Reasons You Should
If you're on iOS 11.2.1, your iOS 11.2.2 update includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre. If you're running an older version of iOS, your iOS 11.2.2 will come with a lot more.
Apple's iOS 11.2 update fixed several problems, but it also brought problems of its own including a potentially nasty zero-day iOS HomeKit vulnerability.
The vulnerability, discovered by Tian Zhang, allowed for unauthorized control of HomeKit accessories including garage door openers and smart locks.
Apple quickly rolled out a server-side fix, but the company restored full functionality with the release of iOS 11.2.1. If you skipped iOS 11.2.1 and use HomeKit, you should download iOS 11.2.2.
If you skipped iOS 11.2, you'll get a few more patches with your iOS 11.2.2 update. Apple's iOS 11.2 update delivered 11 patches including one for Mail and one for Wi-Fi.
The iOS 11.2 and iOS 11.2.1 updates also patched up a widespread security issue called "Meltdown." Apple says its analysis suggests it "has the most potential to be exploited."
Meltdown affects all iOS 11 powered devices so we highly recommend downloading iOS 11.2.2 if you skipped iOS 11.2.
If you skipped iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.1.1, and iOS 11.1, you'll get additional patches with your iOS 11.2.2 update.
The iOS 11.1 update delivered eight security patches including a fix for a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability called KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack. KRACK is an exploit that targets the common WPA2 encryption protocol.
If you're just now making to move from iOS 10 (or whatever you're on) to iOS 11, your iOS 11.2.2 update will come with additional security features.
Apple's first iOS 11 update delivered several patches for potential exploits. iOS 11 also comes with new security features aimed at keeping your data safe. Elcomsoft recently discovered a change to the way iOS deals with trusted devices.
In iOS 11 you can't establish trust with a PC using fingerprints alone. You'll also need to put in a full passcode in order to gain that trust.
If you skipped older versions of iOS, your iOS 11.2.2 update will come with an even longer list of security patches.
Apple's iOS 10.3.3 update delivered 24 security patches addressing potential issues with Contacts, Messages, Notifications, and Safari. It also included a patch for a potentially dangerous Wi-Fi exploit called "Broadpwn."
If you skipped iOS 10.3.2 you'll get 23 additional patches in iOS 11.2.2. And if for some reason you missed iOS 10.3, you'll get 60 security patches with your version of iOS 11.2.2.
If you want to protect the data you store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you should make your move to iOS 11.2.2 soon.
