Overview
- At Build 2026 Microsoft formally positioned WinUI as the production native UI framework and removed the numeric 'WinUI 3' branding to signal continued commitment.
- The company created a new native app team to rebuild in-box Windows experiences and plans to rewrite parts of the shell, including the Start menu, as native components.
- Microsoft said it will prioritize WinUI fundamentals by fixing compositor tearing, reducing memory use, and improving overall performance and stability for production apps.
- New developer tools include agent-based workflows and a specialized WinUI agent plugin for GitHub Copilot and Claude Code to help create, modernize, and migrate apps to native Windows code.
- Microsoft plans Phase 4 public-repo work, will add enterprise controls such as DataGrid and Charting, and says it will not ban other frameworks while seeking to make WinUI the lower-risk choice for developers and businesses.