Windows 11 is getting what should be a hefty speed boost for apps

Date:
Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:34:02 +0000

Description:
Windows 11 is getting another speed boost for apps it's for Edge first, but in the future Microsoft says any app can adopt it to speed up launches.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Windows 11 has a new preview build with a change to boost performance It's just for Edge to begin with,
and it means that if the browser is already running, new instances of the app will launch faster Microsoft's plan is to introduce this to a wider range of Windows 11 apps Microsoft is making another move to tune up Windows 11 so it launches some apps more swiftly, although this is just in testing for now.

Windows Latest noticed that the latest build in the Release Preview channel (the final stage of testing) applies a change to bring in "accelerated app launches" for Microsoft Edge in a certain scenario. Namely that when Edge is already running, further instances of the web browser being opened will
appear at a faster speed. Microsoft tells us that : "When you select a link
or open Edge from the taskbar or Start menu while Edge is already running in the background, Windows now routes your request directly to the running instance instead of first starting an extra, temporary process." Latest
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This shortened launch path for when Edge is 'warm' (already running) means a considerably faster launch time, as Windows Latest verified.

The tech site also points out that only the first 'cold' start of the browser will be slower (with the longer launch process), as even if you open Edge, then close it, if you run the app again, it's still 'warm' as the relevant processes have spun up in the background. You may like Windows 11 may get a free speed boost soon as Microsoft works on boot times Microsoft boasts that Windows 11 now runs much faster and more responsively Windows 11's August update has arrived here are 3 reasons to download it Analysis: broader benefits, but why did all this take so long? (Image credit: Microsoft) If you don't use Edge (and that's doubtless most of you), then you might be
thinking: what's the big deal anyway? Well, this is a first step in testing towards a grander goal, namely a "broader Windows capability that any app can adopt to speed up its own launches" as Microsoft explains in the preview build's release notes.

Eventually, we could see multiple apps benefiting from what's an apparently considerable performance boost when launching, assuming that they're already running (and warmed up). It could be some time before Microsoft opens this up to third-party developers, mind, and then they have to get around to implementing the functionality. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

At any rate, it's a useful new feature, and one that comes on top of Microsoft's existing work in enabling preloading for certain Windows 11 apps
, notably Edge itself and File Explorer. We've also witnessed the
introduction of the Low Latency Profile feature, which represents a nice CPU speed boost for Windows 11's menus and also apps .

The main question is: why did it take Microsoft so long to get around to
these performance improvements? File Explorer being slow was a complaint from the start with Windows 11, and yet we've had to suffer this and various
other instances of sluggishness for years before they've been fixed. It was only this year, when Microsoft properly turned its attention to fixing
Windows 11 , that we've seen solutions flooding forth.

And don't get me wrong, that's great, but it also shows that Microsoft didn't take these performance problems seriously until the Windows 11 userbase was more or less in open rebellion over AI features being pushed while all these issues continued to frustrate people. It's clear enough that the optimization of Windows 11 could have been done in the past, if Microsoft was willing to graft at the task, it was just that the company didn't see it as enough of a priority bafflingly.

I concede that even when Microsoft is doing a good thing here, I'm moaning, and that in this respect the company can't win. Fair enough, and all's well that ends well as they say, but what I'm really hoping is that Microsoft can learn from this in the future and act earlier to troubleshoot its desktop OS when it clearly has problems.

Whatever next-gen Windows turns out to be, it needs to take this new attitude and go forward with it, until Microsoft has an operating system which is running smoothly for daily operations in every important respect, from performance to usability not to mention reliability and stable updates which is still a big issue that's left to resolve. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/windows-11-is-getting-another-free -speed-boost-for-apps-i-just-wonder-why-all-this-performance-tuning-didnt-happ en-before-now


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