Microsoft is killing its app for viewing 3D files on Windows 10 and 11

The list of deprecated features in parts of Windows 10 and 11 is growing. This month, Microsoft expanded it with 3D Viewer, an old app from the era when Microsoft was experimenting with mixed, virtual, and augmented reality. The Windows Mixed Reality platform has long been dead, but the 3D Viewer app is still out there, available for you. Now, Microsoft is killing it as well.

In the official support document, Microsoft explains that the 3D Viewer app is now deprecated and is on its way out. On July 1, 2026, the app will be removed from the Microsoft Store, and those who want to view 3D files on their computers should switch to alternative options.

If you have the 3D Viewer app on your computer, you can continue using it as is, even after July 1, 2026. However, you will not be able to reinstall it after that date:

3D Viewer was deprecated in February 2026 and will be removed from the Microsoft Store on July 1, 2026. Existing installations of 3D Viewer will continue to work, but the app will no longer be available for download from the Microsoft Store. If you remove the app, you can reinstall it from the Microsoft Store until July 1, 2026. After that date, 3D Viewer will no longer be available for download. 3D Viewer was preinstalled on some Windows 10 devices, but wasn't preinstalled on Windows 11 devices.

As for alternatives, Microsoft recommends Babylon.js Sandbox. It is a web-based app where you can drag-and-drop a 3D model into your browser and preview it, see it under different light conditions, and more.

Microsoft used to preinstall the 3D Viewer app on every clean Windows 10 copy, but with Windows 11, the company removed it from the list of stock apps in the new OS. The app is now going after Paint 3D, another relic from the bygone era (deprecated in August 2024), the Maps app (deprecated in April 2025), and other components.

If you have not tried the 3D Viewer app yet, and you still want it for some reason, you can download it from the Microsoft Store while it is still available there.

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Posted Thursday 5 February 2026 at 4:52 am AEST (my time).

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