Windows 11 tests faster launches for running apps

Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 feature designed to speed up app launches when an app is already running in the background. The feature is currently available for Microsoft Edge in a Release Preview build.

When Edge is already running, Windows can route a request to open the browser directly to that instance instead of starting an extra, temporary process. That shortens the launch path for subsequent openings. The first launch, when Edge is not already running, still follows the longer path.

Microsoft describes the test as an early step toward a broader Windows capability that any app could adopt to speed up its own launches. The company has not said when the capability might become available to third-party developers.

The test adds to other Windows 11 performance work mentioned in the source, including app preloading and a Low Latency Profile for menus and apps. TechRadar’s Darren Allan frames the Edge change as part of a wider effort to address longstanding complaints about Windows 11 performance. That characterization is the author’s commentary.