Windows 11's Weather App Sucks Up 1GB RAM While Serving Ads
Microsoft's Weather app in Windows 11 has been criticized for its high RAM usage and display of ads. According to a recent test, the app consumes over 1GB of memory when idle, with nine separate sub-processes running under it. This is in stark contrast to Apple's native Weather app on macOS, which uses only 246.7MB of memory.
The issue lies in the fact that Windows 11's Weather app is a web app rendered through WebView2, unlike its native counterparts. This has led some to question Microsoft's ability to create efficient and lightweight apps. Rudy Huyn, who leads native app development at Microsoft, had previously committed to building fully native Windows apps, but it remains unclear if this extends to MSN-branded apps like Weather.
Microsoft is currently working on updating its inbox apps using the WinUI framework, which aims to improve efficiency and reduce RAM usage. However, a native, ad-free-by-default Weather app rebuilt in WinUI would be a significant step forward for Windows 11.