Microsoft responds to installing Office web apps without user's permission

Microsoft installed, and started showing Office web apps in the Start Menu after a new update.

Microsoft Windows 10 (REUTERS)

Microsoft was caught installing Office progressive web apps (PWA) without the user's permission. These apps include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook which started showing up in the Start menu. Microsoft has now responded to the issue calling it a bug, and has decided to stop this practice.

Microsoft told The Verge this was originally supposed to be a process where websites pinned to the Start Menu would launch in the Edge browser. This was to make the shortcuts more visible but what it also ended up doing was change the existing Microsoft Office web shortcuts into PWAs. The Verge points out that this is something that can be manually done in Edge but not something that should happen automatically.

The Verge spotted this first with Microsoft force restarting the Windows 10 PC to install an update. Along with the update, Microsoft also installed the web app versions of Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook on the PC. These PWAs appeared in the Start Menu. Since these are web versions of the apps you can always access them from the browser, and an additional space isn't really required. The whole thing seems like more of a push for Microsoft apps, and its Edge browser.

Microsoft has decided to stop adding web apps to the Start Menu. if you're seeing these web apps on your Windows 10 system, you can uninstall them by going to the Control Panel > Programs & Features or Settings App > Apps & Features page.

his move seems very Microsoft-like as the company recently confirmed it will not be possible to uninstall Edge from your Windows 10 system. You may not use the browser but it will remain in your system. There's still a way to uninstall Edge from your PC for those who cannot stand it at all.