steviey19

Windows 11's Start menu was built using React – now switching to native WinUI

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/windows-11-major-improvements-announced-movable-taskbar-less-ads-reduced-copilot-better-performance-2026

Microsoft announces major Windows 11 updates designed to fix biggest flaws

After feeling the heat from macOS and Linux, Microsoft is getting its act together and making significant changes to Windows 11 to fix its biggest issues.

Windows Central
Mar 21 at 4:09amWeb
Show threadsteviey19Mar 21

Buried in this announcement about Windows 11 improvements is a fascinating admission: the Windows 11 Start menu has been built using React this entire time. Microsoft is now migrating it to their native WinUI3 framework to improve performance and reduce interaction latency.

This explains a lot about why the Start menu has felt sluggish compared to Windows 10.

The React → WinUI migration is the most technically interesting detail imo.

Show threadevanjrowleyMar 21
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Show threadstephenrMar 21
It's been known for a while - at least 2024 - that its react.
Show threaduserbinatorMar 21

WinUI is still a bloated pig compared to Win32.

If MS really wants its users back, many of which have left for Linux and Mac, it should seriously consider going back to the Win7 era UI, or at least restore the Windows Classic theme.