Windows 11 Testing Feature to Improve App Launch Speeds

The company is testing a new feature in its operating system designed to improve app launch times and make interface elements such as the Start menu feel more responsive. The feature, called Low Latency Profile, temporarily ramps up CPU frequency in short bursts to speed up menus, flyouts, apps and other interactive tasks.

It uses dynamic CPU scaling, a method also employed by macOS and Linux to prioritize user-facing operations. Windows 11 testers have observed the unannounced changes over the past week. They reported noticeable improvements when launching File Explorer or the Start menu, as well as applications including Outlook, the Microsoft Store and Paint.

Testing indicates the changes can deliver up to 40 percent faster launch times for the company's own apps. The Start menu and context menus across the operating system have shown improvements of up to 70 percent. A company executive addressed online discussion of the technique over the weekend.

The executive noted that smartphones already use similar temporary CPU boosts and that the practice is common in other operating systems. >"Apple does this and y’all love it. " — Scott Hanselman (The Verge) The speed improvements form part of broader updates intended to enhance performance, reliability and user experience in the operating system.

The company has also begun removing certain Copilot interface elements and adjusted Windows Update behavior to reduce interruptions. The testing remains limited to Windows 11 preview users for now. No information has been released on when or whether the Low Latency Profile will reach the general release version of the operating system.