● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsLow impact2 negative
Windows 11 Weather App Consumes Over 1 GB of RAM, Attributed to WebView2 Framework
Key points
- Windows 11 Weather app uses over 1 GB of RAM.
- Memory usage can climb to 1.5-1.6 GB during interaction.
- High consumption linked to WebView2 framework and Chromium.
- May impact performance on systems with 8 GB or 16 GB RAM.
- Apple's macOS Weather app uses less than 250 MB RAM.
High Memory Usage Identified
Tests by Windows Latest and Wccftech indicate that the Windows 11 Weather app can consume more than 1 GB of memory. While displaying a forecast without intensive user interaction, the app exceeded 1.2 GB of RAM. Memory usage typically starts around 1 GB, drops to 500–600 MB when idle, and can increase to 1.5–1.6 GB during basic actions like zooming or navigating the interface.
Technical Explanation for Consumption
The significant memory consumption is attributed to the Weather app not being a fully native Windows application. Instead, it functions as an MSN Weather web app built on the WebView2 framework, utilizing Chromium-based subprocesses. This architecture contributes to its larger memory footprint compared to native applications.
Potential System Impact
On a PC equipped with 8 GB of RAM, the Weather application alone could occupy nearly 20% of the system's total memory. This level of consumption could affect overall system performance, particularly on machines with limited RAM (8 GB or 16 GB).
Comparison with Other Platforms
In comparison, Apple's native Weather app on macOS reportedly uses less than 250 MB of RAM under similar conditions. This suggests Microsoft's implementation has a memory footprint roughly five times larger than its macOS counterpart.
App Functionality and Content
The MSN Weather app provides data such as live radar overlays, hourly wind and precipitation breakdowns, air quality index, and moon phases. The data is sourced from various providers, primarily Foreca. The app also includes advertisements, despite being a built-in component of a paid operating system.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
The default MSN Weather app in Windows 11 consumes up to 1.2GB of RAM while idle and displays advertisements. This high memory usage is attributed to the app being a web wrapper utilizing Chromium-based subprocesses rather than a native application.
The built-in Windows 11 Weather app has been found to consume over 1 GB of RAM, with usage climbing to 1.5-1.6 GB during interaction. This high memory usage is attributed to its WebView2 framework and Chromium-based subprocesses, potentially impacting performance on systems with 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM.