Why does Microsoft Edge now launch faster on Windows 11?

The update that changes cold starts

Microsoft announced on October 29, 2026 that Edge became the first browser to support accelerated app launches on Windows. The rollout began with Edge version 150 and requires Windows 11 versions 25H2 or 26H1 with the October 2026 non‑security update KB5127936 or later. Most users will see a 15% launch speed improvement. Under heavy multitasking the gain reaches 33%. The comparison baseline is launching Edge without the new capability while Edge is already running.

Fifteen percent.

The change does not affect the very first launch after a fresh boot. It helps when a visible Edge window is already open or when Edge runs in the background through features such as Startup Boost. In those situations the old path forced Windows to start an intermediary process that searched for the running browser and then forwarded the request. That extra step added latency, especially when the system was busy.

How the registration mechanism works

When an Edge process starts it now sends a registration request to Windows. Windows checks the request and accepts it. Later, when the user clicks a link or the taskbar icon, Windows uses the stored registration to notify the already running Edge process directly. The intermediary lookup disappears. The Start menu, the taskbar and supported links that open in Edge by default all use this path.

The blog post describes the flow in three steps. First the browser registers. Second Windows acknowledges. Third the next launch skips the search. No changes to the user interface are required. The feature works automatically once the version and update requirements are met.

Where it applies and what comes next

Accelerated launches currently cover the Start menu, the taskbar and links that open in Edge by default. Opening PDF files is not yet included. Microsoft says it is working with Windows to add that scenario. The company is also contributing the implementation to Chromium so other Chromium‑based browsers can adopt the same capability in the future. How many devices already have the required update installed is not disclosed in the announcement.