Microsoft promises to speed up Windows 11 apps by 50% with Native AOT

Modern apps in Windows 11 that are powered by the Windows App SDK will soon run faster and use less memory thanks to Native AOT, which makes apps launch faster and smaller in size. Microsoft itself stated this.

Image source: Microsoft, Windowslatest.com

Microsoft claims that apps based on the Windows App SDK will be able to run significantly faster on Windows 11. Preliminary tests have shown boot times to be reduced by up to 50% and the size of app installation packages to be reduced by up to 8 times. However, results may vary, and the difference may not be noticeable until developers update their software products, explains online publication Windows Latest.

The Windows App SDK is a set of tools that helps bridge the gap between the APIs of Win32 and UWP apps. This SDK allows you to use familiar frameworks, such as Win32, to create Windows applications with access to modern APIs. However, programs based on the Windows App SDK may be slow to launch.

For example, Phone Link, which links an Android smartphone or iPhone to Windows 11, takes longer than usual to open when first launched after a reboot. In addition to being slow to launch, Windows App SDK apps are sometimes slow to respond to user input because they rely on Microsoft Edge WebView to use more RAM than classic or traditional Windows apps.

Despite the existing problems, Microsoft is actively working to solve them. Information was found in the support documentation that as of September 6, the Windows App SDK now supports Native AOT (Ahead-Of-Time) compilation. Now developers will be able to integrate the technology into their applications, which will significantly reduce application launch time and reduce memory consumption.

Initial tests showing a 50% faster startup time and an 8x reduction in application package size are encouraging. Additionally, since Microsoft no longer includes the hard-coded Edge WebView2 SDK in the Windows App SDK, this also helps reduce app size. Instead, NuGet is used to access the Edge WebView2 SDK as needed. It’s important to note that these changes don’t directly speed up apps, but as Microsoft and other developers start using the Windows App SDK with Native AOT, users will see performance improvements, including lower memory consumption.