It's been a decade since Cortana, Microsoft's gentle and irritating assistant, launched in 2014 along with the now-defunct Windows Phone. But thanks to upcoming Windows updates, Cortana won't be around much longer, unless you want it to be.

Microsoft has already confirmed plans to discontinue Cortana in favor of an AI assistant, a process that began this summer with the removal of the Cortana app. Currently, Microsoft is testing an update to Windows 11 that will completely remove Cortana along with other baked-in bloatware in Windows like Camera, Photos, and the People app.

This is important because, frankly, it is a minor convenience that has been long overdue. For many of us, these apps are superfluous at best, and the fact that they cannot be removed from Windows is frustrating. Why do we need a camera app on our desktop PC if we don't have a camera connected? Why do we need the People app when all of our contact lists are managed by other apps and websites?

Fortunately, Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23585 is going to free us from this nonsense. This build was released last week (November 8) to the Windows Insider Program's Dev channel, and according to Microsoft's release notes, "the Camera app, Cortana, Photos app, People app, and Remote Desktop client" are free to uninstallable.

While it is already possible to disable or uninstall Cortana if one is willing to wade through Windows menus and edit system files, this new option should be easier, faster, and more final.

Also, the ability to uninstall major apps is a notable major change in this Windows update, but it is not the only one. This build also improves HDR support in the Windows Snipping Tool, which should improve the color accuracy of screenshots and recordings taken with HDR displays. As someone who regularly snaps screenshots from an HDR monitor at work, this small fix is a welcome one.

There is a caveat, however: Windows builds tested in the Windows Insider Program's Dev Channel, like this one, are not guaranteed to see the light of day.

It seems likely that Microsoft will roll out these in-development features to all Windows users later this year, especially given that they have already announced plans to discontinue Cortana, but it will be interesting to see if and when Windows users get these new features on their PCs. It is impossible to say for sure if or when they will be included.

The best I can offer is to check the Windows Update utility (found by pressing the Start button and typing "Windows Update") regularly for new releases. By doing so, you will be the first to get the latest Windows drops.