web components Archives

Winsage

March 30, 2026

Microsoft plans native apps for Windows

Microsoft plans to develop fully native applications for Windows 11 and is establishing a dedicated team for this initiative. The new software will utilize Windows-specific technologies like WinUI instead of web-based components. Some upcoming applications will not include web-based elements. This shift aligns with Microsoft's broader efforts to improve Windows 11, which recently received an update to address performance issues and optimize various features. Many existing applications, including popular tools and flagship offerings, currently rely on web-based frameworks. It is unclear whether Microsoft will modernize existing applications or focus on new native solutions.

Winsage

March 18, 2026

Microsoft appears to be dumping native Copilot for Windows 11 in favour of web wrapper yet again

The latest update for Copilot has transformed it into a WebView-based application, marking it as a hybrid app rather than fully native. The new Copilot (version 146.0.3856.63) operates as a web application, evidenced by multiple sub-processes in the Task Manager that are characteristic of Microsoft Edge. The version number of Copilot aligns closely with that of Microsoft Edge. The revamped Copilot functions as a web app within a desktop shell but loads content from copilot.microsoft.com. Despite its web-based nature, it performs comparably to its native predecessor and launches more quickly. Microsoft had previously announced a "native" version of Copilot, which was misleading as it still relied on web components. In 2025, Microsoft began distributing a truly native Copilot app, free of web components, which started in March 2025. However, the Copilot has now reverted to a web-based format for users in the Windows Insider Program, with plans to extend this change to non-Insiders soon.

Winsage

September 10, 2025

Microsoft removes old web components from Windows

Microsoft has deprecated a series of web components in Windows, including Legacy Web View, HTML and JavaScript apps from Windows 8 and 8.1, the first generation of Progressive Web Apps, and developer tools from the original Edge browser. These components are built on EdgeHTML, which powered the classic Edge before its transition to Chromium in 2020. While these features will not be removed immediately and will continue to receive security updates for now, they will eventually cease to receive updates and be phased out in future Windows versions. Microsoft is directing developers towards alternatives like WebView2 and modern Chromium-based Progressive Web Apps. This announcement is part of a broader clean-up initiative that also includes the removal of WordPad, Mixed Reality, NTLMv1 protocols, and tools like WMIC and PowerShell 2.0.