Microsoft admits its Windows 11 apps hog RAM. A fix is coming | PCWorld
Consumer AI
Home Robotics
Performance
Privacy
Productivity
More
Accessories
Business
Entertainment
Gaming
Laptops
Mobile
Monitors
Computer Components
Security
Smart Home Security
Personal Software
Storage
Streaming
Networking
Windows
By Story Type
News
Best Picks
Reviews
How-To
Deals
Newsletters
Digital Magazine
Digital Magazine – Subscribe
Digital Magazine – Info
Smart Answers
Client Content
BrandPosts
Smarter Document Workflows Start with Nitro
The 1Password Guide to Password Managers
The Avast Online Security Buyer’s Guide
The Dell 2026 buying guide: Laptops, monitors and Alienware gaming gear
The Dell & Alienware 2026 Wish List
The EaseUS PC Utility Buying Guide
The 2026 ECOVACS Robot Vacuum & Window Robot Buying Guide
The GIGABYTE Guide to AI Gaming Laptops
The MSI AI PC Buyer’s Guide
The MSI Guide to Wi-Fi 7: How to Fix Wireless Dead Zones and Upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 at Home
The Navimow Robot Lawn Mower Buying Guide
The Norton Security Buyer’s Guide
The Norton Small Business Security Buyer’s Guide
The Optery Guide to Personal Data Removal
The Roborock Guide to Smarter Floor Cleaning
The ROG Custom Gaming Keyboard Buyer’s Guide
The Seagate & LaCie External Storage Buyer’s Guide
The T-Mobile 5G and Fiber Home Internet Buying Guide
The TP-Link Guide to Modern Mesh Home Wi-Fi
The ZOTAC GAMING Graphics Card & MEK PC Buyer’s Guide
Skip to content
-->
Image: Alex Photo Stock/Shutterstock.com
Summary created by Smart Answers AI<br>In summary:<br>Microsoft has acknowledged that Windows 11 apps consume excessive RAM and announced plans to optimize memory usage through WinUI 3 framework improvements.<br>PCWorld reports that Chris Anderson from Microsoft’s Windows UI team confirmed ongoing internal testing focused on reducing memory consumption and enhancing performance.<br>The upcoming changes will particularly benefit users with low-spec PCs, making Windows 11 run smoother with reduced RAM requirements.
Native Windows 11 apps use a lot of RAM, and that slows down Windows 11 computers. Microsoft has promised to tackle this problem.
According to Windows Latest, Microsoft intends to improve RAM management with a major Windows 11 update. To this end, Microsoft plans to optimize the WinUI 3 framework before the update is rolled out.
Back at the Build 2026 developer conference held in June, Microsoft had already announced changes to WinUI that aimed to reduce the amount of RAM used by the framework. These improvements to memory usage are vital before Microsoft is able to reprogram various Windows elements (such as the Start menu) using WinUI 3.
Chris Anderson, a developer on Microsoft’s Windows UI team, says that further improvements are planned, particularly in the areas of “performance, fundamentals, and quality.” This is intended to pave the way for larger projects and revamps.
Anderson also said: “On the performance side we’ve invested heavily in really improving memory usage as well as switching over to a system compositor, which should yield some even better performance improvements. And this stuff all actually hit the public in our Git repo.”
Microsoft is already internally testing changes to memory usage, performance, and reliability for WinUI, ahead of the planned release of the new Start menu based on this updated framework. With the introduction of the WinUI version, users will hardly notice any visible changes in the Start menu, but on low-spec PCs, Windows 11 should run a little more smoothly and use less RAM overall.
That said, Microsoft hasn’t provided any specific figures regarding the reduction in RAM usage. Most recently, Microsoft promised to retire older Windows UI elements dating back to the Windows 95 era and bring them to the modern era with WinUI 3.
By the way: If you’re using Windows 11 Home, you’re missing out on the many benefits of Windows 11 Pro. To learn more, see our comparison of Windows 11 Home and Pro. If you want to upgrade, snag it for cheap in the PCWorld Software Store: now just $59 instead of $99.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
Author: Hans-Christian Dirscherl, Managing Editor, PC-WELT
Hans-Christian Dirscherl began his IT life with Autoexec.bat and config.sys, Turbo-Pascal and C, Sinix and Wordperfect. He has been writing on almost all IT topics for around 25 years, covering everything from news to reviews and buying guides.
Recent stories by Hans-Christian Dirscherl:
HP exec says 30% of PCs still run Windows 10. Here’s why that number matters
5 Windows 11 features from July’s update you shouldn’t overlook
Microsoft’s July update is blocked on some Dell PCs. Here’s why