Enhanced Windows 11 Copilot Features Complete Microsoft Edge Suite, Consumes More RAM

Introducing the New Copilot for Windows 11: A Shift to Web Components

The latest version of Microsoft’s Copilot is being rolled out for Windows 11 users, and it brings significant changes by transitioning from native code (WinUI) to web components. This shift was anticipated based on previous reports; however, the inclusion of a complete version of Microsoft Edge in the update came as a surprise.

It’s unclear if Microsoft is falling behind in the AI race, but it is evident that the company struggles to establish a consistent Copilot experience in Windows, frequently changing its approach. The newest iteration replaces its predecessors: the native app replaced the WebView version, which in turn succeeded the Progressive Web App (PWA) and earlier iterations of Copilot that were integrated into the sidebar.

How to Access the New Copilot

If you haven’t received the new Copilot yet, navigate to the Microsoft Store and search for “Microsoft Copilot.”You’ll discover a new listing that includes a download button, even if Copilot is already installed on your device.

When you click the Download button, you’ll notice a nearly instantaneous completion. This is because you are not downloading the Copilot app itself; instead, you’re getting a Copilot installer, akin to the Microsoft Edge installation process.

The Store provides a warning indicating that additional action in another window is required, signaling that the Copilot download procedure has shifted away from direct management by the Microsoft Store. A similar trend can be observed with Microsoft Teams.

Once the update is installed, the older native Copilot app built on the WinUI framework will automatically vanish from the Start menu and other locations.

User Experience: Familiar yet Different

Upon launching the new Copilot, I discovered that its interface closely mirrors the web version available at web.copilot.com. While the experience is smooth and feels almost native, there are noteworthy drawbacks, such as high RAM consumption, which undermines Microsoft’s recent efforts to optimize Windows performance.

Resource Usage: A Hybrid Application

Testing conducted by Windows Latest indicates that the new Copilot can consume up to 500MB of RAM in the background, spiking to nearly 1GB when actively engaged. In contrast, the previous native Copilot utilized less than 100MB of RAM.

This high resource consumption led me to investigate how the “web-based”Copilot differentiates itself, revealing that it operates as a hybrid web app with a dedicated instance of Edge running alongside it.

Evidently, Copilot’s installation folder includes a complete version of Microsoft Edge—it contains all necessary binaries such as msedge.exe, msedge.dll, and several others. The size of the msedge.dll file, at 315MB, suggests that it incorporates a full Chromium browser engine.

If this were a standard WebView2 or PWA, it would utilize the existing Edge integration in Windows 11 rather than including its own version of Edge. The package also hosts various Edge-related subsystems, such as Browser Helper Objects and Extensions.

Interestingly, this new Copilot is equipped with both WebView2 and full browser functionalities, thanks to the presence of msedgewebview2.exe in the package and multiple.dll files like EmbeddedBrowserWebView.dll. This indicates a bundled WebView2 runtime along with Microsoft Edge.

Copilot for Windows 11 uses a private Edge copy — Image Courtesy: WindowsLatest.com

This new iteration of Copilot is intriguing and could explain why its performance is superior to standard web apps or PWAs. The inclusion of a private copy of Edge within the Copilot app, as well as a custom launcher, enhances its capabilities.

However, even though it offers a compelling user experience, the prevalence of web apps, PWAs, and Electron-based applications in Windows 11 raises the question: do we really need more of them? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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