Windows 11 Notification Center’s “Agenda” View Uses WebView2 Instead of Native Apps

Upcoming Windows 11 Update: Enhanced Calendar Agenda in Notification Center

With its forthcoming update, Windows 11 is set to reintroduce the Calendar Agenda feature in the Notification Center—an element that many users missed since its absence post the system’s launch in 2021. This revamped Agenda view, which pulls data from Outlook, will be rendered through a WebView2 component, drawing upon resources from Microsoft Edge, a decision that has garnered mixed reactions from the Windows community.

Current testing phases for the Agenda view are taking place in Windows 11 preview builds. During my experience, the functionality has not been fully optimized as it still struggles to load Outlook meeting details adequately within the WebView2 framework. For instance, while experimenting with the preliminary version of the Agenda view, I observed a notable increase in “WebView2″processes when accessing the Notification Center.

Windows 11 Notification Center Agenda View WebView2

Additionally, I recorded a demonstration showing how the “Windows Shell Experience Host”in Task Manager escalates its CPU usage from idle to over 15% upon activating the Agenda view. Upon expanding the “Windows Shell Experience Host”process, a multitude of accompanying WebView2 processes becomes evident.

Within this host interface, I noted several components like “GPU Process, ””Renderer, ”and “Utility, ”which are standard in the Edge WebView2 framework, necessary for rendering the UI. As users interact with the Notification Center, these components activate, resulting in memory utilization surging dramatically—from about 1MB to over 130MB while rendering the Agenda view.

Closing the Notification Center leads Windows to conserve power by transitioning these processes to a “Suspended”state, effectively freezing them to halt CPU and RAM usage as observed in the notifications by Windows Latest.

Despite the utility of WebView2, many users express dissatisfaction due to its inability to provide a native application feel on Windows 11, especially when compared to frameworks like React, which maintain the use of native UI components. This sentiment is particularly prevalent regarding WebView2 and Electron-based applications.

Revisiting the Functionalities of Calendar Agenda in Windows 11

Windows 11 Calendar Agenda View in Notification Center

The Calendar Agenda in Windows 11 bears similarities to its predecessor from Windows 10, featuring a sleek interface that presents a chronological listing of scheduled meetings. A notable addition, however, is planned AI enhancements; when users delve into a specific agenda, they gain access to the ‘Microsoft 365 Copilot.’

Microsoft officials have confirmed that the integration of MS365 Copilot into the Calendar Agenda view will be optional, allowing users the choice to engage or bypass it. Another significant enhancement is the ability to join Teams meetings directly from the Agenda, streamlining the user experience considerably.

Calendar Agenda in Windows 11 Notification Center

Ultimately, the regular user likely prioritizes functionality over resource efficiency; if the Agenda view fulfills its intended purpose without imposing heavy resource demand, the introduction of WebView2 may prove justifiable. Nonetheless, as WebView2-based applications like Teams and WhatsApp struggle with resource management, one must ponder the necessity of this integration.

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