Desktop Apps
The latest Desktop Apps coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
Windows 11 Still Depends on Win32 in 2026, Says Azure CTO: Why Change Is Hard
Mark Russinovich, Microsoft's Azure CTO and renowned Windows internals expert, confirmed in May 2026 that Windows 11 still treats the Win32 API as a first-class platform. The dependency runs deep:...
Windows Desktop App Privacy: Why Win32 Programs Bypass Microsoft's Permission Model
Microsoft's approach to desktop application privacy presents a fundamental security dichotomy that every Windows user should understand. While modern Microsoft Store apps operate within a tightly...
ExpressVPN's Qt Revolution: Cross-Platform Unity Arrives for Windows, Mac, Linux
ExpressVPN has launched a comprehensive redesign of its desktop applications, unifying its Windows, macOS, and Linux clients under a single Qt-based framework. This architectural shift represents a...
Microsoft Copilot Transforms Year-End Reviews: AI Assistant Saves Time on Performance Evaluations
As the calendar year draws to a close, millions of professionals face one of the most dreaded workplace rituals: the annual performance review. Microsoft has positioned its AI assistant, Copilot for...
Meta Messenger Desktop Apps Shutting Down December 2025 - What Windows Users Need to Know
Meta is officially sunsetting its standalone Messenger desktop applications for Windows and macOS, with complete shutdown scheduled for December 15, 2025. This strategic move marks the end of...
Google's Alt+Space Overlay Brings Lens, AI Search to Windows. Here's How It Works and What to Watch For.
What’s New Google has released an experimental Windows app that places a compact, floating search bar at your fingertips. The tool, hosted in Google’s Search Labs, can be summoned anytime by...
Microsoft Store Insider Build Overhauls Downloads, Adds External App Update Detection
Microsoft has begun testing a significant overhaul of the Windows app store that, for the first time, allows the Microsoft Store to detect and surface updates for programs installed from outside its...
OneNote for Windows 10 Turns Read-Only October 14, 2025 – Migrate Now or Lose Edit and Sync Capabilities
Microsoft is pulling the plug on its Universal Windows Platform (UWP) OneNote app on October 14, 2025. After that date, OneNote for Windows 10 will become read-only, cutting off all editing,...
Windows 11 Tests 'Resume from Phone' Feature: Seamless Android-to-PC Handoff Begins with Spotify
Windows Insiders on the Dev and Beta channels can now test a new cross-device feature that lets them continue listening to Spotify from their Android phone directly on a Windows 11 PC—no manual...
Microsoft Tests Android-to-PC Spotify Handoff for Windows 11 Insiders
Microsoft has flicked the switch on a long-anticipated cross-device feature: Windows 11 can now hand off an active Spotify session from your Android phone to your PC with a single click. The...
Windows 11 Preview Brings Apple Handoff-Style Spotify Resume from Android to PC
Microsoft is rolling out a new Android-to-PC handoff feature to Windows Insiders that lets you pick up a Spotify track exactly where you left off on your phone—with a single click on the desktop...
Microsoft Copilot 3D Turns Images into 3D Models, a Feature ChatGPT Can't Match Yet
Microsoft has quietly rolled out a feature that could reshape how Windows users think about 3D content creation. Dubbed Copilot 3D, the new capability lets anyone upload a flat 2D image—a product...