A former Microsoft engineer is working on a way to make Live Tiles relevant in 2026. Jeff Fritz, who worked at Microsoft until last month, has been showcasing an app called DayFrame on several of his recent live streams.
DayFrame is what happens when Windows Phone and Outlook have a baby. The app features a persistent hub with shortcuts to your email, calendar, contacts, and other tools. The layout is inspired by Windows Phone and would look natural on a Lumia smartphone.
Fans of retro Windows design will appreciate the Live -Tile-inspired interface, icons, and text. Though the app is built with classic Windows UI elements in mind, the experience won't be exclusive to PC. DayFrame will be available on both Windows and Mac when it ships.
"Instead of juggling separate apps, DayFrame gives every part of your personal world a home behind a single shell," reads the DayFrame website. "A persistent tile rail on the left keeps your modules one tap away — bold, square, unmistakably blue — while the main pane shows whatever you're focused on right now."
Sadly, the app is not available yet and is simply listed as "Coming soon." But Fritz mentioned on X that a private preview for the app should be available in the next week or so.
Fritz notes that the screenshots shown on the DayFrame website are of "real, running code," so they're more than just design mockups.
DayFrame is designed to be expanded over time. Each module is built independently and tested separately, which allows Fritz to add new modules without affecting preexisting ones.
The concept behind DayFrame is intriguing. A lot of apps feel like cookie-cutter tools made with templates. While DayFrame is inspired by Windows Phone, it takes the familiar layout and builds on it.
I'd love to see DayFrame be embraced by a community of developers after it comes out. Maybe we'll see some unique modules added to the app.
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