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# Edge Opens Up to 33% Faster on Windows 11 Now
- URL: https://blog.harshkohli.com/edge-accelerated-app-launches-windows-11/
- Published: 2026-10-29T21:03:34.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-29T21:03:34.000Z
- Description: Microsoft Edge 150 uses a new Windows 11 accelerated app launch feature to open about 15% faster. What you need and how to get it.
- Author: Harsh Kohli
- Tags: Tech News, Windows

You've probably seen it: click a link while Chrome, Teams and a game launcher are all open, and Edge sits there for half a second before anything shows up. Microsoft says it found where that lag comes from. Edge now uses a new Windows 11 trick called accelerated app launches, and on most PCs it opens roughly 15% quicker.

## What happened

The Edge team [announced it on the Microsoft Edge blog](https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2026/10/29/edge-is-faster-on-windows-with-accelerated-app-launches/?ref=blog.harshkohli.com) on October 29\. Until now, when you clicked a link or the Edge icon while Edge was already running, Windows first started a short-lived helper process just to find the open browser and pass the request along. On a freshly booted PC you'd barely notice. With a dozen apps open, that extra step adds lag.

Now Edge tells Windows it's there as soon as it starts up. So when you click again, Windows passes your click straight to the copy that's already open, no middleman. Here's what Microsoft measured:

- **About 15% faster** launches for most Windows users.
- **Up to 33% faster** when the PC is under heavy multitasking.
- Works from Start, from the taskbar, and from any link Windows sends to Edge.

You need Edge 150 or later and Windows 11 version 25H2, 26H2 or 26H1 with the October 2026 non-security update, KB5127936, or anything newer. [Windows Central](https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/microsoft-found-a-way-to-make-edge-open-faster-on-windows-11-and-its-sharing-the-tech-with-other-browsers?ref=blog.harshkohli.com) notes that KB5127936 is an optional update right now, and [BetaNews](https://betanews.com/article/kb5127936-windows-11-edge-routes/?ref=blog.harshkohli.com) says the rollout is staged, so it won't hit every PC on day one.

## Why it matters

This only speeds up "warm" launches, meaning Edge already has to be running, either in a window or in the background through Startup Boost. The very first open after a reboot stays the same. So it's a small win, but it's the kind you feel dozens of times a day.

What I find more interesting: Microsoft is pushing the code upstream to Chromium, the open-source base Edge is built on. If Google and the others accept it, Chrome, Brave and Vivaldi users could get the same boost down the line. Microsoft also says PDFs are next on its list. Other app makers can use it as well, but only after Microsoft hands them an unlock token for the API.

## What to do

- **Check your Edge version.** Go to Settings > About Microsoft Edge and let it update to 150 or later.
- **Get KB5127936.** In Windows Update, look under optional updates, or wait for it to arrive with a later cumulative update.
- **Keep Startup Boost on** (Settings > System and performance) if you want the gain, since it relies on Edge already running.
- **Not on 25H2 or newer yet?** My guide on [whether to update to Windows 11 26H2](https://blog.harshkohli.com/windows-11-26h2-should-you-update/) walks through the trade-offs.