Microsoft Paint was one of the apps marked for deprecation in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Although Paint had since remained available to users, it never received any new feature as it faced the possibility of getting axed from Windows 10 at some point in the future.
In late 2017, Microsoft began displaying a product alert within Paint that warned users of its imminent departure as it was slated to be replaced by Paint 3D. That didn"t mean, though, that the app was going away entirely: it would still be available via the Microsoft Store.
Thankfully for Paint fans, Brandon LeBlanc, Microsoft"s Senior Program Manager for Windows, has confirmed in a tweet today that the software giant won"t be removing the app, at least in the foreseeable future. LeBlanc made the revelation in response to Italian tech news site HTNovo, which called his attention to the absence of Paint"s warning message on devices running Windows 10 19H1 Build 18362.xx. The "Product alert" button used to appear in the top-right corner of Paint since the deprecation.
LeBlanc said Paint will remain in Windows 10 for the time being and will be included in 1903, or the Windows 10 May 2019 Update which went live on the Microsoft Developer Network last week. It"s not clear why Microsoft suddenly held back its plan to shutter Paint, but it"s a welcome development nevertheless.
Source: Brandon LeBlanc (Twitter)