Microsoft pauses forced web app installs on Windows 10 devices

The 'forced update' installs Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook web-based apps.

New Delhi: After courting controversy for pushing an update for Windows 10 that covertly installs web pages for its Office apps without asking for user permission, Microsoft has said it was partly a mistake and has paused the process.

According to a report in The Verge late on Monday, Microsoft said it will pause the “migration” that brought progressive web apps (PWA) for Microsoft Office apps to Start Menu and there was a bug that caused this issue.

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“Microsoft says it’s actually been pinning Office web shortcuts to the Start Menu since May 2019,” the report mentioned.

The ‘forced update’ installs Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Outlook web-based apps.

These are basically the shortcuts to the web version of Office that can be accessed through any browser. These apps, however, are not the full version of Microsoft Office.

“They will only open a web-version of the app where you need to sign in with your Microsoft account to gain access,” reports XDA Developers.

One can easily uninstall them. Go to Settings App and then Apps & Features page or use Control Panel and then Programs & Features to remove those unsolicited web apps which are only shortcuts that hardly take any space on your system.