Microsoft is making significant changes to Windows 11, emphasizing a more aggressive approach to deprecating features. Notably, the Maps app is among those set for removal. Microsoft has announced that the Maps app will be deprecated and removed from the Microsoft Store by July 2025. A final update before this deadline will render the app nonfunctional. Users can uninstall it at any time, but if they remove it prior to July 2025, they may reinstall it from the store. However, after this date, reinstallation will not be possible, and saved data will no longer function in the app.
Additionally, Microsoft is phasing out the Windows UWP Map control and affiliated APIs for developers. The company advises developers to transition to Azure Maps, which integrates features from Bing Maps for Enterprise.
In an unexpected move, Microsoft is also deprecating VBS (Virtualization-Based Security) enclaves in Windows 11 version 23H2 and earlier versions. Conversely, support for this vital security feature will remain for Windows 11 version 24H2 and newer. VBS enclaves provide critical security enhancements by using system hardware to create isolated environments that bolster the operating system’s integrity. This technology supports Windows Hello ESS, which aims to enhance sign-in security.
Microsoft has not provided explicit reasons for removing VBS enclave support from older Windows versions. This decision may stem from the impending end of support for version 23H2, scheduled for November, as Microsoft focuses on ensuring the latest security features are available for new PCs that ship with version 24H2.
Similar changes are taking place across Windows Server versions, with VBS enclaves being deprecated for Windows Server 2022 and earlier, while their support continues in Server 2025 and beyond. This suggests ongoing alignment between the client and server codebases.
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