Microsoft Edge now launches faster on Windows 11
Microsoft Edge now opens faster on Windows 11 PCs with the latest optional update, thanks to a new Windows feature called accelerated app launch. Microsoft says most people will see a 15 percent faster launch, and up to 33 percent faster when the PC is busy with other apps.
What you need
Microsoft announced the change on Thursday, October 29, and says Edge is the first browser to support it. It needs three things:
- Microsoft Edge version 150 or later.
- Windows 11 version 25H2, 26H2 or 26H1.
- The October 2026 non-security update, KB5127936, or a later update.
KB5127936 is an optional preview update that Microsoft released on Wednesday, October 28, as OS Builds 26200.9818 and 26300.9818. Optional updates don't install on their own. To get it now, open Settings, then Windows Update, then Advanced options, then Optional updates.
The Edge side of the change has already rolled out from version 150 onward, so there's nothing to turn on in the browser.
How accelerated app launch works
Edge is often already running when you open it. A window may be open, or Edge may be running in the background through its Startup Boost feature.
Until now, clicking a link or the Edge icon made Windows start an intermediary process first. That process looked for the running copy of Edge and handed the request over. Microsoft says this extra step could make Edge feel slow when a PC was busy.
With accelerated app launch, Edge registers with Windows when its process starts. The next time you open Edge, Windows uses that registration to notify the running process directly and skips the middle step. Microsoft says it works when you open Edge from the Start menu or the taskbar, and when you open a supported link that opens in Edge by default.
The 15 and 33 percent figures are Microsoft's own. It compares launches with and without the feature when Edge is already running.
Other browsers and apps could follow
Microsoft says it's contributing the work to Chromium, the open-source project Edge is built on, so other Chromium-based browsers could use accelerated launches on Windows in the future. It's also working with the Windows team on other uses for the feature, such as opening PDF files.
Developers can add the feature to their own single-instance Windows apps. Microsoft's developer documentation says the APIs are a Limited Access Feature, so developers have to request an access token. Apps must also keep their own single-instancing code, because accelerated launch doesn't cover every kind of launch.
What it means for you
If you use Edge on a supported version of Windows 11, the speedup arrives with the update and needs no setup. Microsoft says the biggest gains come under heavy multitasking.
Windows 10 isn't on Microsoft's list of supported versions. If you're not sure your PC can run Windows 11, our Windows 11 CPU checker shows whether its processor is supported. For other ways to keep a browser quick on modest hardware, see our guide to the best browser for low RAM.