Overview
- Independent tests reported Aug. 10–12 by Windows Latest and several German outlets measured the app using about 1.2 GB of RAM on average with peaks near 1.6 GB.
- The high memory use occurs because the app is not native but runs inside Microsoft’s WebView2 layer, which embeds Chromium and creates many background processes.
- On systems with 8 GB of RAM the app can tie up roughly 20 percent of memory and force the PC to page to SSD, producing visible slowdowns when users multitask.
- Microsoft has said it plans to replace some web-based apps with native versions but has not confirmed a targeted fix or timeline for the MSN/Weather interface.
- Users can reduce the impact now by disabling the app’s background activity in Settings or uninstalling it and using a browser or a third-party weather app, and the problem follows earlier user complaints about ads added in 2024 that continue to affect the app’s design and reception.