My New Apps, Providers, and Video games of 2025 ⭐

Here’s a glance again on the apps, providers, and video games I began utilizing in 2025. As with earlier years, there was a variety of change, and a reasonably apparent push to settle down Big Tech predations whereas adopting extra Little Tech options.

Previous years: 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Windows 11
Windows continues to be my focus, however it’s additionally the place I spend all my time working, and I’ve been evolving the set of apps I take advantage of year-by-year, not with a plan in thoughts, however as apps which might be new (or new to me) come to mild and are higher than what I used to be utilizing.

In 2024, for instance, I switched (again) to Typora (a Markdown editor for writing), Notion, Affinity Photos 2.x, and Proton Pass (for password/id administration, additionally on cellular). 2025 noticed the same shift, although an important change is tied to the one largest situation we’ve got utilizing Windows lately. So let’s begin there.
Windows 11 de-enshittification
I’ll proceed utilizing and testing macOS and numerous Linux distributions. And as many know, in the case of the latter, I lean extra in the direction of these which might be easier, minimalist, and extra consumer pleasant like Elementary OS and Zorin OS. But I discover {that a} correctly de-enshittified Windows 11 is best than all of them for me and, I believe, for nearly all Windows customers. And whereas I’ve checked out a variety of alternative ways to attain this over the previous few years, a couple of options rose to the highest this 12 months. So a lot in order that I now use these frequently alone PCs.

The first step is to create a clear set up of Windows 11 that’s de-enshittified from the start, and that’s the place Tiny11 Builder is available in. If I can’t begin over for no matter motive, then I take advantage of Win11Debloat to attain a lot the identical impact after the actual fact. And Win11Debloat will likely be helpful if (when?) some future Windows 11 replace brings again a number of the horrible.

Alongside these two essential instruments, I additionally use and advocate:

Rufus to create clear, de-enshittified Windows 11 set up media on USB
ExplorerPatcher to take away the WinUI bloat from File Explorer and restore its underlying efficiency and reliability
MSEdgeRedirect to sever all of the compelled Microsoft Edge utilization and pressure Widgets, Search, and no matter else in Windows 11 to make use of my browser of selection

Note that once I do use Tiny11 Builder to create a clear set up of Windows 11 that I’ve to make use of the Windows Package Manager (winget) to put in an internet browser (see beneath) as a result of it doesn’t embrace Edge.
Web browsers
This has been a giant 12 months for net browsers, and although that could be a matter for one more 2025 wrap-up submit that’s coming quickly, it’s price discussing the net browsers I take advantage of myself and advocate. This is hard as a result of I typically have to check different net browsers to maintain up on what’s occurring. But in case you actually care about your self, that means you wish to defend your privateness and safety and achieve this with out sacrificing an internet that truly works, there is just one selection, Brave. I can not advocate it sufficient.

Beyo…