Microsoft has announced it will shut down Paint 3D on November 4. The app will be removed from the Microsoft Store on the day. It says existing Paint 3D users can continue using the app, but there will not be any new updates. If someone uninstalls Paint 3D, they can download and re-install it from the Microsoft Store only until November 4.
It has begun alerting Paint 3D users with a text warning at the top. It reads, “Paint 3D won’t be available in the Microsoft Store or receive future updates starting on November 4, 2024.”
Paint 3D Never Really Took Off
Paint 3D was announced in 2016 as a major overhaul of the classic Microsoft Paint application. It was supposed to replace the vintage Paint app that debuted in 1985. The biggest highlight of Paint 3D was, as you must have guessed, support for 3D content.
The app arrived at a time when Microsoft was bullish on 3D content and mixed reality, hopeful of the HoloLens’ success. Paint 3D featured a major revamp in terms of UI and functionalities. It supported 3D models that users could play with and interact with from different angles.
Magic Select feature allowed users to create cut-outs from 2D photos and use them as stickers to wrap on 3D models. It had Remix 3D community support for discovering new models and sharing your creations. There was support for doodling in 3D, where users could sketch a drawing and watch it turn into 3D.
Paint 3D was undoubtedly packed with features that made it more powerful than the classic Paint. However, it never took off as it failed to attract regular users outside the 3D enthusiasts’ group.
This is why, even though Paint 3D was a pre-installed app on some Windows 10 devices, Microsoft made it an option for Windows 11. It was even removed from the Windows setup process. If anyone wanted to use the app, downloading it from the Microsoft Store was the only way.
