Out of curiosity: how does Windows 10 sort its most used apps list?

I have been trying to understand how Windows sorts its most used apps list (in the start menu, presumably shared with start menu alternatives such as Start10).

I noticed, for instance, that if I launch a freshly installed program, it pops up high on the list. Launching my default browser - non-Microsoft - by whatever means does not seem to budge its ranking in the list, but firing off Microsoft Edge just once makes it one of my most popular apps ever. Before presuming that Microsoft is somewhat biased to their own products, does anyone have a description of the algorithm that Windows 10 uses to sort the most used apps list?

I'm running Windows 20H2, but this behavior does seem to stretch back into Win7 and prior

Thanks!
Dr.M'B

@drmbongo hello and welcome to tenforums ,
Related to your question
Add or Remove Most Used Apps from Start Menu in Windows 10

- - - Updated - - -

Enable or Disable Most Used Apps on Start Menu in Windows 10 and another of possible interest.

drmbongo said:

I have been trying to understand how Windows sorts its most used apps list...

....firing off Microsoft Edge just once makes it one of my most popular apps ever. Before presuming that Microsoft is somewhat biased to their own products, does anyone have a description of the algorithm that Windows 10 uses to sort the most used apps list?

No, I don't think MS have published a description of the 'rules' they use.

I rely on the 'Most used' list as a convenient way to launch some of my most frequently used apps. The order seems to be based on the frequency of use, but with a built-in head start for the MS-supplied apps that come with Windows. If you turn on 'Most used' in a clean install before you've used anything you'll see it's already populated by a selection of the built-in apps.

I right-click on each one I don't need and select 'More > Don't show in this list'. With the majority of the MS apps removed in this way the ordering seems to be just based on the frequency of opening the apps I do use.

But be very careful what you do remove from 'Most used'. Once an app has been removed it is a permanent lifetime ban - it will never reappear no mater how often you use it. More on that here:

Reset "don't show in this list" for Most used apps in Start