On the Construct 2026 developer convention, Microsoft inspired builders to construct extra local apps for Home windows 11. Whilst Microsoft didn’t in particular warn towards “internet apps,” it was once one of the crucial uncommon developer meetings the place the corporate driven WinUI, a local framework, over different choices like Electron or React Local (internet apps).
Home windows, which was once as soon as the flagship product, has been at the again burner for the previous few years, however that seems to be converting in 2026. Microsoft has promised it’ll rebuild Home windows 11 to beef up high quality, efficiency, and reliability, and a part of the plan is to center of attention extra on local apps.
Microsoft has shaped a brand new group to construct local apps for Home windows 11. It’s additionally rewriting the Get started menu, which was once at first written in React Local (in particular the Beneficial feed and All Apps listing).
Now, at Construct 2026, Microsoft introduced it’s totally dedicated to WinUI and has no plans to construct some other framework.
How Microsoft plans to push WinUI because the local UI framework
Microsoft mentioned it’s going to concentrate on the basics to begin with, this means that it plans to make WinUI extra solid, scale back reminiscence utilization, and create new building equipment.
It’s additionally losing the WinUI 3 branding and relating to it as merely “WinUI.” This would possibly sound meaningless in the beginning, however it’s if truth be told a vital transfer for the reason that corporate does no longer need builders to assume some other new framework is coming.
Consistent with Microsoft, probably the most requested questions it will get from builders is how severe the corporate is ready WinUI 3. Are you going to stay with this framework? WinUI 3 is 4 years previous. Are you going to stay going, or is that this the 12 months that you just’re going to announce a brand-new framework over again?
To this, Chris Anderson, who works on Home windows UI and AI, spoke back that Microsoft has “no aim of establishing a brand new framework.”
“Actually, we’re losing the quantity, and we’re relating to WinUI as simply WinUI as a result of we haven’t any aim of in point of fact making an enormous shift, breaking trade on it,” he mentioned in a consultation noticed via Home windows Newest.
Microsoft says it’ll get the fundamentals proper for WinUI
Talking at Construct 2026, Chris Anderson showed that WinUI is the “manufacturing platform for Home windows apps,” and the corporate is totally dedicated to the framework.
Chris defined that Microsoft is conscious about the “gaps” within the WinUI framework and is making an attempt to convey it on par with different frameworks.
As an example, in case you attempt to resize WinUI apps, you’d realize tearing (black borders). Home windows Newest noticed this conduct with all WinUI apps, and I’ve captured it within the video underneath.
Microsoft says it’ll deal with tearing and different issues affecting WinUI as a part of getting the “basics” proper.
“The before everything is efficiency, basics, high quality, solving a large number of insects,” says Anderson, who’s the VP of device engineering at Microsoft. “We’ve invested closely in in point of fact bettering reminiscence utilization in addition to switching over to a machine compositor.”
There are a selection of recent options coming to WinUI, however Microsoft in particular discussed that it’s running on DataGrid and Charting beef up, which might inspire enterprises to construct apps the use of WinUI.
It would no longer sound like an enormous deal, however it’s if truth be told one of the crucial first instances Microsoft is making an attempt to optimize WinUI for endeavor wishes. Microsoft actually cares about its endeavor shoppers, and if it desires to push endeavor builders towards WinUI, it confirms the corporate is totally dedicated to WinUI.
“Now we have DataGrid and Charting which can be up and coming that are meant to be out somewhat in a while,” he mentioned.
Those two are elementary interface controls for endeavor builders, as information grids and charts are utilized in finance apps, HR dashboards, admin equipment, billing device, and extra.
Microsoft desires builders to make use of WinUI for contemporary apps, together with AI workflows
A part of that plan additionally comprises construction WinUI for the agentic technology. That suggests the WinUI framework is being optimized for AI workflows, so builders make a choice it over different frameworks.
“Builders need quicker iteration, clearer keep an eye on waft, and equipment that paintings smartly with AI-assisted coding,” Microsoft mentioned. “WinUI stays the manufacturing platform for Home windows apps whilst adapting to those wishes.”
In some other consultation at Construct 2026, Microsoft instructed the use of agent-based building workflows to construct trendy Home windows apps. Once more, a few of chances are you’ll argue that the corporate is closely making an investment in AI, however it’s no longer about including AI in your apps. That is in particular about the use of AI to lend a hand builders construct extra trendy Home windows apps.
AI has been round for years now, and it was once additionally the controversy of town at Construct 2025, however we didn’t have a unmarried consultation the place Microsoft inspired builders to construct trendy apps written in WinUI without or with AI brokers.
Microsoft is operating on “new platform functions” to permit brokers to lend a hand builders plan, construct, and optimize their trendy WinUI apps.
“Builders can leverage those functions to create new WinUI 3 apps, beef up present packages, or migrate legacy apps to a contemporary Home windows UI stack the use of clever automation around the building lifecycle,” Microsoft mentioned.
Microsoft isn’t towards different frameworks, however it desires “WinUI” to be observed because the local framework
It’s price noting that Microsoft isn’t mentioning a struggle towards different frameworks. That might by no means occur as a result of Home windows is an open platform for builders. Actually, the corporate cited React along SwiftUI and Compose as examples of contemporary dynamic UI patterns that it intends to convey to WinUI.
Then again, the corporate desires to make WinUI extra interesting to builders. The corporate is making an attempt to make the UI really feel trendy, AI-friendly, open-source, and no more dangerous for builders.
“The large subsequent segment for us is Segment 4. And in point of fact, this is the place we transfer the group from the use of interior supply repos to running basically and virtually solely within the public repos,” Microsoft mentioned at Construct 2026.
Microsoft may be no longer asking builders to rewrite previous Home windows apps in a single day. Anderson mentioned the corporate desires WinForms interop with WinUI to turn out to be “bulletproof,” and it additionally desires WPF migration to be excellent sufficient that builders can combine WPF and WinUI with out issues.
Home windows has all the time been a developer-friendly working machine. This implies it lets in builders to make use of any framework and API to construct apps for Home windows, together with Python, Tauri, React, WinUI, WinForms, Win32, and the listing is going on. That still way Home windows now not has a constant design language as it tries to cater to everybody.
This 12 months’s Construct convention offers me hope that Home windows is “again” at Microsoft
Microsoft holds the once a year Construct convention to discuss Home windows, Azure, GitHub, and its different merchandise. The primary //construct/ convention was once held in 2011. During the last few years, Construct has turn out to be much less about Home windows and extra about Azure, GitHub, and even Linux.
Microsoft additionally in large part moved clear of speaking a few local framework for Home windows and centered extra on bringing apps from different platforms to Home windows.
This Construct, Microsoft mentioned Home windows and local apps greater than it has on the ultimate a number of years’ meetings, and the corporate promised it might additionally rewrite the Home windows shell in WinUI to create a constant enjoy.
That is an exhilarating 12 months for Home windows, however how do you wish to have Microsoft to beef up the OS? Let me know within the feedback underneath, and I’ll ahead all comments to the related groups!
