Microsoft applies an old trick to Edge to make it faster: here’s how “Startup Boost”
It’s called Startup Boost and it’s the new feature that allows the Microsoft Edge browser to start up faster, with a trick as old as the world: preloading at the startup of the operating system part of the services and processes that the app needs and that, therefore, if it finds them already ready in memory when it is started.
Called “Startup enhancement” in Italian, the feature is being tested on Edge version 88 for insiders, i.e. those enrolled in Edge’s beta testing program. Along with the feature, Microsoft has also released an extensive FAQ page in which it explains how it works and in which it reassures users about a legitimate fear: no, Edge’s “Startup Boost” does not negatively impact Windows 10 startup times and, according to Microsoft, only offers benefits to the user. Among other things, the enhancement remains in place even when we close the browser, so that the next time we reopen Edge it can give its benefits again.
Edge startup enhancement: how it works
Microsoft explains that startup enhancement consists of launching a set of Microsoft Edge processes in the background, so that they are already ready in memory when we open the app. These processes are launched preemptively on two occasions.
The first is when the computer starts, the second is when the browser is closed (to be precise, in this second case, the processes are left in memory). Microsoft swears that all this has a limited impact on the device’s resource usage, because the management of this functionality is given a very low priority.
For sure, though, the startup boost consumes some memory to keep these processes running. But Microsoft relies on another feature to make Edge consume less memory: “Sleeping Tabs”, which sends unused tabs to sleep.
Edge startup boost: how to activate it
To use startup boost we must, first of all, download and install Edge version 88 “Canary”. By this term we mean the versions with the most experimental features, which receive updates practically on a daily basis.
Once we open the Edge Canary 88 app, we have to go to the settings and then, in the left column, choose “System”. Among this set of settings, as the first item, there is now the startup enhancement with its toggle, which allows us to turn it on and off. So it’s worth trying this new feature to find out if it makes Microsoft Edge startup faster, as Microsoft promises.