Microsoft rolls out major Windows 11 update that speeds up the system interface

Microsoft has released one of its largest Windows 11 updates in recent memory, adding a new low-latency profile that speeds up the Start menu, Search, and Action Center, along with a wide range of additional features and more than 200 security fixes.

The update, reported by Engadget, appears in Windows Update as KB5094126 (OS Builds 26200.8655 and 26100.8655). It introduces several new features, fixes hundreds of smaller bugs, and patches multiple security vulnerabilities. The headline change is the new low-latency profile, which is designed to make the core elements of the interface feel noticeably faster.

The system works in a fairly direct way. When the user opens the Start menu, Action Center, or Search, Windows briefly boosts the processor's clock speed to its maximum for a few seconds before bringing it back down. The result is a clear reduction in the small delays that have long been visible when launching these interface elements. The feature is not rolling out to every user at once, and those who want to check whether it is active can do so through Task Manager or third-party utilities. Search itself has also been made more responsive, with results now beginning to appear after just two characters have been typed.

The update introduces several other useful additions. Multiple applications can now access the camera at the same time, allowing a user to be in a Zoom call while also taking selfies in another app, for example. Audio can now be streamed simultaneously to two pairs of Bluetooth LE headphones. Users can also rename their main user folder to anything they choose. Task Manager has gained a new monitor for the neural processor (NPU) on devices equipped with an AI accelerator. Microsoft has also confirmed that an upcoming build will allow users to customize or fully disable individual sections of the Start menu.