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Chrome web apps will soon be easier to uninstall; directly from the Windows app list

Previously Windows users could utilize Google’s desktop web app launcher, and it was fantastic. It was a program that resided in the bottom left of your taskbar and gathered all of your Chrome applications and Chrome web apps into one location. Chromebook users will recognize this since, well, it’s the app launcher and ‘Everything button’ that’s been there from day one.

The problem with uninstalling Chrome web apps and their upcoming solution

Unfortunately, Google cut the ‘Everything button’ off years ago, and at the time, it looked and behaved just like Chrome OS before the Peeking launcher (and, later, the Productivity launcher) became a thing. Windows Chrome users’ online apps are now restricted to the bookmarks bar in their browser or through chrome://apps.

When compared to the prior technique, this feels buried away and unreachable, and if you wanted to uninstall something you installed to your desktop or laptop, you’d have to go to this URL.

At the end of the day, Windows behaves more like a Chromebook, and it’s simply neither easy nor something great. The problem arises mostly when attempting to delete these online programs from Windows 10 or 11, they simply do not appear in the Programs list like traditional software on the machine.

You could, and still can, go to the classic Add and Remove Programs option if you can find it to view a list of Chrome applications installed, but they don’t always appear, and even when they do, they don’t uninstall correctly or get deleted from the registry in a neat and clean manner.

Uninstalling Chrome web apps directly from the Windows app list is under works

That’s going to change, as the Chrome Canary and Dev versions include an uninstall prompt via the OS settings. This was spotted on Reddit by Leopeva64-2 and would unify the experience of utilizing Chrome applications alongside downloading Windows software on Microsoft’s operating system.

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It’s not nearly completed, according to the commit where this appeared. Currently, users must add “–enable features=EnableWebAppUninstallFromOsSettings” to their Chrome browser shortcut under ‘Target’ while right-clicking it and selecting ‘Properties.’

Shazia Irani

Passionate about technology, the geek world and a little nerdy. My title says I'm a accountant, but in reality I just love writing about what I love. Technolover.

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