After recent updates, Microsoft Photos on Windows 11 has been experiencing notably slower launch times. However, Microsoft is rolling out a solution aimed at addressing these performance issues. The company plans to automatically run the app in the background as soon as users boot to the desktop. Microsoft believes this "auto launch" feature could help the Photos app deal with its sluggish performance.
From UWP to Windows App SDK
For those unaware, Microsoft Photos has undergone significant changes in recent weeks. The app has transitioned from using the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) to the Windows App SDK. This shift involves developer APIs and features that can be integrated alongside other Windows app development tools.
One of the primary reasons for this transition is to achieve deeper web integration and performance improvements. In a recent blog post, Microsoft claimed that the Photos app would be faster after switching to the Windows App SDK. However, this has not been the case. In our tests, Windows Latest observed that the Photos app's launch time is approximately three times slower.
As illustrated in the above screenshot, when attempting to launch the new Photos app, which is still being rolled out, users will encounter a "splash screen" displaying the app icon/logo before they can view their pictures. Despite these evident performance issues, Microsoft maintains that Photos is faster and makes better use of WebView.
Web Integration and Performance
The image editor within the Photos app is now powered by OneDrive’s web UI. But does this make the app run faster? Certainly not. Instead, it makes calls to Edge WebView APIs, which also contribute to increased resource usage.
However, it seems Microsoft may have found a "workaround" to these performance issues. Sort of. In a new update, Microsoft has added a toggle called "Performance," which can be turned on to allow Photos to run in the background at startup. This is an optional toggle, but it wouldn't be surprising if a future update turns it on by default in the Photos app.
The Performance Toggle
When toggled on, Photos app-related processes automatically launch in the background, consuming memory and CPU resources as soon as users boot to the desktop. While this change means that Microsoft Photos will now use resources even when not actively in use, it also means that the app can launch more quickly.
If you have Photos app version 2024.11050.3002.0 and above, you already have the new Windows App SDK version, which is slow and buggy. The new performance toggle is currently only available to those in the Windows Insider’s Canary Channel and requires version 2024.11060.27001.0.
As Microsoft continues to refine its approach to improving the Photos app on Windows 11, users will be watching closely to see if these changes ultimately deliver a smoother and more efficient experience.
