Windows 11 users do not normally open the Weather app expecting it to become a performance story. Yet the latest testing reported by Windows Latest is a useful reminder that even small inbox apps can carry a meaningful cost when they are built as web wrappers rather than lean native utilities. The site observed Microsoft’s Weather app using more than 1.2GB of memory while idle, with multiple Chromium-style subprocesses running beneath it. That matters because a tiny forecast check should not behave like a full browser session.

For home users, this may look like another annoyance in a long list of Windows 11 rough edges. For IT teams, it is more interesting: the Weather app is a small example of a broader endpoint-management question. Which built-in apps deserve space in a managed image, which ones should be removed, and how much background overhead is acceptable on devices that employees use all day?

What Windows Latest found

According to the Windows Latest report, the Windows 11 Weather app is effectively MSN Weather presented through Microsoft Edge WebView2. In the author’s test, the app climbed past 1.2GB of RAM without active use. Expanding the process tree in Task Manager showed several subprocesses with Chromium-style names, which is consistent with a WebView2-based application rather than a compact native Windows utility.

The article also notes that the app provides plenty of genuinely useful information: live radar, hourly precipitation and wind data, air quality details, moon phase information, and severe weather alerts. The criticism is not that the data is useless. It is that the delivery model feels heavy for such a common, basic task.

The comparison with Apple’s Weather app on macOS is especially pointed. Windows Latest says Apple’s native app used roughly 246MB of memory in the same broad category of task, while Microsoft’s app used almost five times as much. Cross-platform comparisons are never perfect because the operating systems, app frameworks, and measurement conditions differ. Still, the direction of the finding is hard to ignore: a web-based inbox app can be far more expensive than users expect.

The ad problem is separate, but connected

The report also highlights sponsored tiles inside the Weather experience, including ads styled in a way that can sit close to forecast cards. This is not only a design complaint. On a paid operating system, users increasingly see ads, recommendations, promoted apps, account prompts, and cloud-service nudges as part of the same pattern: Windows is becoming more promotional in places that used to feel purely functional.

For consumers, the reaction is straightforward frustration. For businesses, the concern is consistency and trust. If a built-in app mixes operational information with ad-like content, administrators may decide it does not belong in a standard desktop build, especially in regulated or distraction-sensitive environments.

There is also a support angle. When nontechnical users see an advertisement inside a Microsoft-provided app, they may assume it is endorsed, required, or part of the forecast data. That can increase confusion and reduce confidence in the desktop experience. Even if the ad is harmless, the placement can make the app feel less like an operating-system utility and more like a web portal.

Why WebView2 apps keep appearing

WebView2 is not inherently bad. It lets developers ship interfaces faster, share code across platforms, update experiences more frequently, and use web technologies inside desktop apps. Many enterprise applications depend on it, and Microsoft has invested heavily in making it a standard part of the Windows app ecosystem.

The problem is fit. A rich collaboration app, dashboard, or line-of-business tool may justify the overhead of a browser-based runtime. A weather utility is a harder sell. Users expect it to open quickly, show local conditions, and disappear. If it consumes hundreds of megabytes or more while idle, the implementation becomes visible in a negative way.

This is why the Weather app story resonates beyond weather. Windows 11 still contains a mix of native components, legacy Win32 tools, modern WinUI interfaces, web-powered panels, and cloud-connected experiences. That mix can be powerful, but it can also feel uneven. When simple tasks rely on heavier frameworks, users notice the gap between the polish Microsoft promises and the performance they experience.

Practical advice for Windows users and administrators

If you rarely use the Weather app, the simplest option is to uninstall it or keep it out of sight. On personal PCs, removing unused inbox apps can reduce clutter and avoid accidental background sessions. On managed devices, administrators can evaluate whether Weather should be included in the base image at all.

For IT teams, this is also a good time to review app provisioning policy. Windows includes many consumer-oriented apps that may not be necessary on business endpoints. Standardizing which inbox apps remain installed can make support simpler and reduce user distraction. If employees need weather information for field work, operations, logistics, or travel, a browser bookmark, a trusted internal dashboard, or a specialized app may be more appropriate than a promotional consumer experience.

Users who keep the app should treat it like any other web-backed application. If memory pressure is high, close it fully rather than leaving it open. Check Task Manager when troubleshooting unexplained RAM usage, and expand process groups so WebView2 child processes are visible. On lower-memory systems, especially 8GB laptops, small inefficiencies across multiple apps can add up quickly.

What Microsoft should change

Microsoft has been talking more openly about Windows performance, native app quality, and the need to improve everyday responsiveness. The Weather app would be a good place to demonstrate that commitment. A native, lightweight, ad-free default Weather app would send a clear message: core utilities should prioritize speed, clarity, and trust.

That does not mean Microsoft must abandon MSN Weather as a service. Forecast data, maps, and severe weather alerts can still come from Microsoft’s weather platform and its partners. The change users want is in the client experience: less browser overhead, fewer promotional elements, and a design that clearly separates information from monetization.

The lesson for Windows enthusiasts is simple. Built-in does not always mean lightweight, and modern does not always mean efficient. The Weather app may be a small utility, but it reflects a larger debate about where Windows 11 is headed. If Microsoft wants users to embrace its new app platform, it needs inbox apps that prove the platform can be fast, respectful, and practical.

Source: Windows Latest