Microsoft has updated its Edge browser to support a new Windows 11 feature called accelerated app launches, which is designed to streamline the startup process for applications already running in the background. By leveraging this capability, the browser can now skip an intermediary Windows process that previously checked for existing instances of the application before opening a new window.
The technical improvement functions by having the Edge process send a registration request to Windows upon startup. Once Windows accepts this registration, subsequent attempts to launch the browser from the taskbar or Start menu allow the operating system to notify the already-running Edge process directly. This direct communication path eliminates the overhead of the previous verification step, which Microsoft notes can be particularly noticeable during heavy multitasking.
According to official data from the Microsoft Edge team, users can expect an average launch speed improvement of approximately 15 percent. Under conditions of heavy system multitasking, the company claims that launch times can be reduced by as much as 33 percent. These performance gains apply when the browser is already active in the background, such as when using features like Startup Boost.
To utilize this feature, users must be running Windows 11 versions 25H2, 26H1, or 26H2 and have installed the optional October 2026 non-security update, identified as KB5127936. Additionally, the system must be running Microsoft Edge version 150 or later. The update is currently available for users who meet these specific software requirements.
Microsoft has indicated that it intends to expand the utility of this technology, with plans to apply accelerated launch capabilities to PDF file opening in the future. Furthermore, the company is contributing this development to the open-source Chromium project, which may allow other Chromium-based browsers to implement similar performance optimizations on Windows in the coming months.