Windows 11 lowers app launch times with fresh update

Windows 11’s August security update has rolled out LLP to all app launches

Microsoft’s August 2026 security update for Windows 11 is shortening app launch times, making fully updated PCs much faster. This update rolls out Windows 11’s Low Latency Profile (LLP) to all app launches, spiking CPU performance to make PCs notably faster. This update was first spotted by Windows Latest.

Given the momentary nature of the CPU boosts from Microsoft’s Low Latency Profile (1-3 seconds), its impact on battery life is small. In fact, some analysts have found that this feature can improve a system’s battery life. After all, a faster app boot time at a higher CPU speed can consume less power than a much longer boot time at a lower speed. Faster app boot times allow laptops to return to their lower power idle state faster.

Windows 11’s Low Latency Profile will have the greatest impact on laptops and other power-constrained systems. These systems will see the largest clock speed boosts when Microsoft’s Low Latency Profile is enabled. This is especially true for lower-end laptops. As such, this update will impact users of lower-end PCs the most.

Microsoft should have done this years ago

Microsoft’s Low Latency Profile is a feature that’s similar to what’s already available in Linux, Android, and MacOS. Microsoft could have implemented this feature years ago if they wanted to make Windows feel as snappy as competing OS’. While it is good that Microsoft has finally caught up with its competitors, it is astonishing that it has taken this long. If anything, this proves that Microsoft has not taken Windows OS performance seriously for over a decade.

More Windows 11 improvements will arrive later this year

LLP is just one of many upgrades that Microsoft is making to Windows 11. Later this year, Microsoft aims to deliver major optimisations that target 8GB PCs. In other words, Microsoft is working to reduce Windows 11’s memory footprint, making Windows 11 run much faster on lower-end PCs. Users of higher-end PCs will also benefit from having more available memory. This will benefit all Windows PC users, from general users to gamers and even workstation users.

How will Microsoft achieve this? One way is Microsoft’s focus on WinUI 3. Microsoft is improving WinUI 3 and plans to transition many of its core Windows features to the new UI. Currently, many of these elements use a non-native UI like Electron and WebView2. These effectively run elements in a web browser, which utilises system resources unnecessarily. Using a native UI across Windows will free up system resources that can be used more effectively elsewhere. This will make Windows 11 faster and much less RAM-intensive.

While Microsoft has not detailed how it will deliver its promised RAM improvements, adopting WinUI across core Windows elements will achieve major RAM savings. What remains to be seen is if Microsoft can achieve what it has promised. After all, Microsoft is Microsoft, and while Windows 11 has improved this year, this year’s benefits follow years of decline.

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