With Windows 11 continuing to bundle a growing list of pre-installed apps, promotional shortcuts, and background telemetry services, the community-driven Win11Debloat project has released a significant update. Version 2026.06.24 dropped on June 24, bringing a safer debloating experience, a new simulation mode, and expanded controls for AI features and telemetry. For Windows 10 and 11 users who prefer a minimal, performance-focused system, this update tackles the risks of aggressive script-based cleanup head-on.
Raphire’s open-source PowerShell utility has become a go-to solution for removing what many call “bloatware” — the third-party shortcuts, Microsoft 365 ads, OneDrive prompts, and Xbox services that ship with Windows 10 and 11. But until now, the tool’s one-size-fits-all removal scripts sometimes removed components users actually wanted, or made changes that were hard to reverse. The 2026.06.24 release addresses this with a trio of headline features: a production-safe default mode, WhatIf dry runs, and granular AI and telemetry toggles.
What’s New in Win11Debloat 2026.06.24
The update prioritises predictability. The “Safer Debloat” approach means the script now defaults to a conservative removal profile — targeting only the most universally unwanted packages, such as Candy Crush Saga, TikTok, and the “Get Started” app — while keeping system-critical components and the Microsoft Store fully operational. Users who want a deeper clean can opt in to advanced modes, but the out-of-box experience is now less likely to break Windows Update, notification centre, or file associations.
WhatIf Dry Runs Let You Preview Changes
A long-requested feature finally lands: PowerShell’s native -WhatIf parameter is now supported throughout the script’s removal and configuration modules. This means you can run any command with -WhatIf to see exactly which apps, packages, and registry tweaks would be applied — without making a single permanent change. For sysadmins testing fleet configurations, or cautious users who have been burned by aggressive debloaters in the past, the dry-run mode turns trial-and-error into a safe, informative step.
Example output from a WhatIf run might look like:
What if: Removing package: Microsoft.BingWeather_4.54.52701.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
What if: Disabling telemetry service: DiagTrack
What if: Hiding Copilot button from taskbar
No files are deleted, no registry keys modified. It’s a game-changer for transparency.
AI and Telemetry Controls Put the User Back in Charge
Windows 11’s deep integration of AI assistants — Copilot, Recall (formerly “Timeline+”), and web-connected search — has drawn sharp criticism from privacy advocates. Win11Debloat now consolidates these under a dedicated “AI & Telemetry” module. One toggle disables Copilot and Recall system-wide, removes the taskbar and edge assistant shortcuts, and prevents background AI indexing. Another group of settings kills diagnostic data collection, the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP), and advertising ID generation.
For enterprise users, the script can also apply these policies via local group policy, ensuring they stick across feature updates. A new “Reset AI Features” command reverses all AI-related changes, restoring Copilot and Recall if a user changes their mind — something Windows’ own settings panel doesn’t always allow cleanly.
Why This Matters Now
Microsoft’s recent push to embed AI into every layer of Windows 11 has intensified the bloatware debate. The 24H2 update (which arrived in late 2024) tied Copilot to the shell, added the “Windows Backup” app as a persistent notification source, and expanded widget-based news feeds that consume memory and bandwidth. Combined with telemetry that cannot be fully disabled through the Settings app, power users have increasingly turned to third-party tools to reclaim control.
Win11Debloat’s rise mirrors a broader frustration. The project’s GitHub repository has seen thousands of stars, and its modular script architecture — one function per unwanted item — has been praised for readability and auditability. The 2026.06.24 update reinforces that trust by making every change explicit and reversible.
How It Compares to Other Debloating Tools
Unlike GUI-based utilities like O&O ShutUp10++ or WPD, Win11Debloat is pure PowerShell. It operates silently, can be deployed via winget or downloaded as a standalone .ps1 file, and integrates naturally with MDM or Intune for enterprise use. The new WhatIf support gives it an edge over alternatives that rely on snapshot rollbacks or opaque “recommended” settings.
Where tools like Titus’s debloater or Sophia Script for Windows excel in broad tweak collections, Win11Debloat focuses strictly on removal and privacy — and the 2026.06.24 release sharpens that focus. The inclusion of AI-specific controls is particularly timely; no other major debloater currently offers a one-click Copilot/Recall switch.
What Users Should Know Before Running
Even with the safer defaults, the script makes changes to the OS. Microsoft’s position is clear: removing inbox apps and changing telemetry settings may affect Windows functionality and support eligibility. The dry-run mode mitigates risk, but a full system backup — or at least a system restore point — is still recommended.
The update is available now on GitHub from the official Raphire/Win11Debloat repo. To install via winget, users can run:
winget install --id=Win11Debloat.Win11Debloat
Or download the latest Win11Debloat.ps1 file, right-click, and “Run with PowerShell”. The script checks for administrative rights and offers an interactive menu; silent mode with parameters supports unattended execution.
Community Reaction and Early Feedback
Initial signals from the community are positive. The pull request adding WhatIf support was one of the most upvoted in the repo’s history. Users on Windows-focused forums are already sharing before-and-after task manager screenshots showing a drop in background processes from 130 to 75 after applying the conservative profile. Power users particularly appreciate the modular disablement of Copilot without affecting other taskbar icons — a nuance often missed by registry tweak collections.
Some testers have reported that the AI module correctly survives Windows Update, though Microsoft may re-enable certain features via cloud policy if a Microsoft 365 account is linked. The script’s documentation now warns users to re-run after major feature updates, and the WhatIf mode makes re-checking simple.
Performance and Privacy Gains
Benchmarks from the Win11Debloat team show a measurable reduction in idle RAM usage — roughly 300–500 MB on a base Windows 11 Pro installation with 16 GB RAM. More importantly, the disabling of background telemetry and AI indexing reduces CPU spikes during idle periods. For laptops, this translates to better battery life, as the diagnostic tracking service (DiagTrack) and Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser no longer run routine data collection.
Privacy wins are harder to quantify, but the script disables over 40 telemetry-related scheduled tasks and reg keys that Microsoft’s own privacy dashboard doesn’t expose. The advertising ID reset, for instance, is a single line in the script but requires a multi-step process in Windows Settings.
What’s Next for Win11Debloat
The roadmap suggests the developer is exploring a GUI wrapper built in .NET MAUI, which could bring the tool to Windows on Arm and lower the barrier for non-technical users. There’s also discussion of a “community app compatibility list” — a curated database that flags which Microsoft Store apps are safe to remove without breaking dependent functionality (e.g., removing the Xbox app may affect game bar recording).
The 2026.06.24 update cements Win11Debloat as more than a simple cleanup script; it’s a policy engine for Windows privacy. As Microsoft deepens its AI integration, tools that give users informed, reversible control will only grow in importance.
Getting Started
The new build is available immediately. Visit github.com/Raphire/Win11Debloat to read the full changelog, review the source code, and download the release. For those who’ve been holding off on debloating their system, the WhatIf preview and “Safer Debloat” defaults make this the best moment to try a minimal Windows setup without the anxiety of breaking something.
Windows 10 and 11 will continue to evolve, and so will the tools that help users shape them. Win11Debloat’s 2026.06.24 release is a clear statement: you can have a clean, fast, and private Windows experience — and you can see exactly what you’re getting into before you commit.