Microsoft engineers Chiara Mooney and Shiven Mian describe the journey and challenges of building and consuming React Native for Windows inside Microsoft. It was given at Chain React 2023.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN cites it as first-party evidence of where Microsoft uses React Native in Windows, particularly the Start Menu.
“only the Recommended section is build with React Native [1].”HN comment, 2026
Microsoft talk showing which Start Menu parts use React Native.
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This has been making the rounds on Twitter and the story never dies despite being essentially false. (Backed by “I hit Start and got a CPU spike”) Just the “Recommended” section - the lower frame showing M365 files & frequent apps - is built with React Native[1]. And, AFAIK, it uses Microsoft’s React Native for Windows that renders real XAML components, so it’s not just a masquerading WebView or something. The Start Menu itself is still C++ and XAML. (And I think WinUI 2, i.e. the system-included variation of WinUI) It’s not just all a web thing or a JS-backed React Native app. 1: this video
Cites itmort96Jul 2025
“they're both employed by Microsoft as software engineers”
Talk by Microsoft engineers on the Start Menu.
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I found this: this video I googled the names of the people holding the talk and they're both employed by Microsoft as software engineers, I don't see any reason to doubt what they're presenting. Not the whole start menu is React Native, but parts are.
Cites itCjHuberJan 2026
“only the Recommended section is build with React Native [1].”
Shows Microsoft proud of using React Native.
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AFAIK the Start Menu itself is still C++ and XAML however only the Recommended section is build with React Native [1]. Funnily or rather sadly, they seem to be quite proud of using it as seen in the video. 1: this video
