Most apps on a modern Windows 11 PC, including Microsoft’s first-party ones, are actually web apps. That’s a major problem, because web apps use more memory and run more slowly than their truly native counterparts. Microsoft hasn’t made developing native apps a priority as of late, despite its modern WinUI 3 framework, and many other developers still lean on web-centric frameworks such as Electron and WebView2.
But for Windows to thrive, Microsoft has to make the desktop OS a compelling platform for powerful applications that run best on a PC. If Windows is little more than a platform for launching web apps, why bother running Windows at all? Why not switch to a Mac for the cohesive, high-quality default apps or save money on a Chromebook that runs web apps just as well? The good news is that Microsoft might finally be serious again about leading the charge on native app development.
Why Windows Needs Native Apps to Stay Relevant
Microsoft’s Rudy Huyn recently announced that he’s “building a new team to work on Windows apps” at Microsoft. He clarified he was talking about “100% native apps”—not progressive web apps (PWAs).
Huyn is a Partner Architect at Microsoft who’s worked on the File Explorer and Microsoft Store, and his LinkedIn profile says he’s an expert in Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform (UWP). That platform launched during the Windows 10 era, but is no longer a focus for Microsoft.
Microsoft didn’t have anything to share with me about this prospective team or the company’s plans for Windows apps, so that’s all I know so far. But this effort sounds like a significant shift, since, as mentioned, many of Microsoft’s bundled apps on Windows run on web technologies.
Coming on the heels of the company’s major announcement about focusing on Windows quality, the formation of a team dedicated to fully native Windows apps feels like part of a broader shift. I hope it’s more than a PR move—Microsoft sorely needs to invest in native app development to make people appreciate Windows, even if that means overhauling its WinUI 3 framework. Apple’s bundle of exclusive apps on macOS has long showcased the platform’s capabilities and contributed to its success.
Web Apps Make Your PC Worse
On a typical Windows 11 desktop, most apps use web technologies, such as the aforementioned Electron and WebView2, and therefore don’t feel much different than a tab in a browser.
Take the Weather app, for example. On Windows 11, the Weather app is basically a web page. Scrolling is laggy, even on my powerful desktop PC, and the interface feels cluttered, complete with a Privacy Choices bar at the bottom of the window. On a Mac, the Weather app is a native app without any ads. Scrolling is smooth, and the interface feels like something you might actually want to use every day. The Windows app used over 700MB of RAM when I last launched it, whereas Apple’s app used about 250MB. That’s nearly three times as much RAM—and an absurd amount for a Weather app.
Microsoft’s Weather app uses the WebView2 framework to display the weather—and ads (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)
Many other default apps on Windows suffer from the same issues. The new Outlook app, for instance, is much less powerful than the classic Outlook app, which is a native app many businesses still depend on today. The new Outlook app works nearly the same on any device, from a Chromebook to a Windows 11 PC. Apple’s Mail app on a Mac offers an experience you can only get on Apple devices.
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Windows 11’s default video editor, Clipchamp, is a web app that requires an internet connection. On a Mac, Apple’s beloved iMovie is a native app that delivers more features than Clipchamp and is exclusive to Apple devices. Furthermore, Microsoft appears to be transitioning Copilot back to a web-based app in recent Insider updates, and Microsoft Teams also uses WebView2.
Macs have the native iMovie app, whereas Windows PCs have the web-based Clipchamp (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)
Mac users also get access to the desktop apps for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for free. Windows 11 users must subscribe to Microsoft 365 to access the native desktop app versions of Excel, PowerPoint, and Word—or stick with the free web versions.
Many of the third-party apps you might install on Windows are web-based apps, too. I have Slack and Spotify open on my PC right now—they both use web technologies. That’s simply the norm for Windows these days. The Mac versions of Spotify and Slack are, too, fundamentally web apps. But Apple offers a lot of native Mac apps, and it encourages developers to do so. Microsoft doesn’t.
Why Microsoft Chose Web Apps (and Why It Backfired)
Windows was once the app platform. During the Windows 7 era, the Windows Live Essentials package offered the widely loved Windows Movie Maker, along with other native apps like Windows Live Mail.
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But Microsoft overcorrected in response to the iPad, and the rest is history. Windows 8 introduced the so-called Metro app platform, which was a failure. With Windows 10, Microsoft introduced the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), so-named because these apps would also run on HoloLens, Windows Phone, and Xbox. With HoloLens and Windows Phone dead, UWP also failed to gain traction.
For developers, Windows became a mess—both a legacy platform Microsoft signaled it was leaving and a new application platform that wasn’t as powerful. Microsoft spent years trying to bring them together. But developers—even internal ones—didn’t focus on building native Windows apps. They focused on web technologies and instead made cross-platform apps.
The new Outlook relies on web app frameworks—even on Windows (Credit: Microsoft/PCMag)
Without Native Apps, Windows Loses Its Identity
Native Windows apps are becoming increasingly rare. File Explorer, Media Player, and Photos still qualify, but the aforementioned trend with Clipchamp, Copilot, Outlook, and Teams has momentum. The situation on the third-party front isn’t much better. Browser apps are native, for example, but they are also widely available on other platforms. And many Windows PC games run just as well on Valve’s SteamOS.
Windows has lost much of its identity in Microsoft’s push to embrace web apps, since you can functionally recreate the Windows experience on ChromeOS, Linux, or macOS without much trouble. Even though I prefer Windows, I often find myself thinking I can run the software I use just as well on another platform.
All this means that you have fewer reasons to choose Windows 11 over its competitors than ever. In a world where Apple invests heavily in its default apps, Google appears to be merging Android and ChromeOS, and Linux is running more and more PC games, Windows 11 has to be more than a glorified web browser.
About Our Expert
Chris Hoffman
Senior Writer
Experience
I’ve been writing about technology for more than 15 years and using it in earnest for over twice as long. As a member of PCMag’s software team, I focus on Windows coverage, but also write about other key desktop operating systems and system apps. (I used Windows 3.1 upon its release and have followed every subsequent release closely).
Prior to joining PCMag, I wrote for How-To Geek starting in 2011, and my articles amassed over a billion page views. I went on to run the publication as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. I have also contributed to Computerworld, Fast Company, PCWorld, Reader’s Digest, The New York Times, and many other outlets about everything from AI to PC hardware to Windows. I founded and ran my own direct-to-reader Windows-focused newsletters, Windows Intelligence and The Windows ReadMe, working in partnership with Thurrott.com.
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