Paint 3D for Windows: Discontinued by Microsoft

Paint 3D was a free drawing app from Microsoft for Windows that combined simple 2D painting with basic 3D modelling. It is discontinued: Microsoft removed Paint 3D from the Microsoft Store on 4 November 2024, so there is no official download any more, and the classic Paint app is the recommended replacement.

Quick facts

• Developer: Microsoft, built by its Lift London studio
• Last listed version: 2024.2410.13017.0
• Introduced with: Windows 10 Version 1703
• Status: deprecated; removed from the Microsoft Store on 4 November 2024
• Replacement: Paint
• Price: free
• Size: about 64.39 MB according to catalogue data

What Paint 3D was

Microsoft introduced Paint 3D together with Windows 10 Version 1703 as a modern take on the old Paint. Instead of a single flat canvas, it offered a scene where you could draw on 2D layers, place ready-made 3D shapes, turn a doodle into a rounded object, paint textures onto models and rotate everything in space. Stickers, text that could float in 3D, a magic select tool for cutting objects out of photos, and export to formats used for 3D printing and mixed reality made it a fun tool for schoolchildren, hobbyists and anyone who wanted to try 3D without learning professional software. The app came in dozens of interface languages and was preinstalled on many Windows 10 PCs. In practice, many people used it for quick 2D edits and background removal rather than for 3D. Over time Microsoft moved those popular features into the classic Paint, which gained layers, transparency and automatic background removal, and put Paint 3D on its list of deprecated Windows features.

Does an installed copy still work?

Yes. If Paint 3D is already on your PC, it continues to open and edit files, but it no longer receives updates, and it cannot be installed again from the Microsoft Store once removed. Microsoft documents the change on its deprecated features page and the related resources page. Do not look for installers on third-party sites: repackaged Store apps are a common way to spread malware.

How to move your work

1. Open each project in Paint 3D and export it: images as PNG or JPG, 3D models as GLB or 3MF.
2. For 2D pictures, open the PNG files in Paint and continue there with layers and background removal.
3. For 3D models, keep the exported GLB or 3MF files; they can be opened in other 3D programs and slicers for printing.
4. Once everything is saved, you can uninstall Paint 3D through Settings, then Apps.

Requirements

Paint 3D was made for Windows 10 starting with Version 1703. Paint, the replacement, is included with Windows 11 and updated through the Microsoft Store.

Safety

An app that no longer gets updates is not an immediate danger for simple drawings, but it should not be your main tool for files from unknown sources. Use only the copy already installed by Windows or the Store.

Pros and cons

• Pro: easy entry into three-dimensional shapes and scenes.
• Pro: magic select for cutting out objects.
• Pro: free and simple for children.
• Con: discontinued, no updates or new installs.
• Con: limited compared with professional modelling software.

Alternatives

The official successor is Paint, which now covers layers and background removal. For more serious photo editing, GIMP and Photoscape are free options on our site, and Microsoft Designer creates graphics from templates and text prompts.