Here’s How Microsoft Plans to Improve Windows 11’s Performance and Reliability in 2026

Microsoft wants 2026 to be the year when the company focuses on improving the performance and reliability of Windows 11 in response to feedback from Windows 11 users. Pavan Davuluri, the President of Windows and Devices at Microsoft, announced today that Windows Insiders will soon get to test more taskbar customization options and other quality updates, but Microsoft has a bigger plan to improve Windows 11 throughout the year.

In the coming months, Microsoft plans to focus on three areas of improvement: Performance, reliability, and well-crafted experiences. “These areas have meaningful impact on how you experience Windows: how fast it starts and responds, how stable it is under real workloads, and how consistent and thoughtful the experience feels,” the company said today.

There are a lot of changes in the pipeline, so let’s start with how Microsoft plans to improve Windows 11 performance across the board:

Performance improvements

Reducing resource usage: Microsoft is working on improving memory efficiency on Windows 11 to make apps perform more consistently even under load.

Reducing interaction latency: Microsoft plans to move core Windows experiences to the WinUI3 framework, which should help to improve responsiveness in core Windows experiences like the Start menu.

File Explorer improvements: Microsoft is working to “substantially lower latency” for search, navigation, and context menus. The app will also launch faster, and this should also apply to the process of copying and moving large files.

Windows Subsystem for Linux improvements: Developers will soon enjoy faster file performance between Linux and Windows, improved network compatibility and throughput, and more.

Reliability improvements

OS, driver, and app reliability improvements: Microsoft is working to simplify connections to Bluetooth accessories, improve printer discoverability and connections to camera and audio hardware, and make device wake more consistent. The company also plans to strengthen system stability by reducing OS level crashes and improving driver quality with its partners.

Windows Hello improvements: Microsoft plans to make facial recognition and fingerprint sign-in more reliable.

Windows Update improvements: Windows 11 users will get the ability to pause updates for as long as they need. Moreover, users who want a less disruptive experience will only need to go through a single monthly reboot.

Windows Insider Program changes: Microsoft will make it clearer what to expect from each Insider channel, and give Insiders more control over which new features they want to try.

Well-crafted experiences

Start Menu improvements: The Recommended section of the Start Menu will display more relevant recommendations and offer clear controls to customize the experience or turn it off.

Taskbar improvements: Windows 11 users will once again be able to move the taskbar to the top or the sides of the screen. This will be coming soon to Windows Insiders.

Windows Search improvements: Microsoft will make the search experience more consistent across the Taskbar, Start, File Explorer, and Settings.

Raising the bar on Windows 11 quality throughout the year will require Microsoft to change how it’s developing Windows 11. “This includes deeper validation and broader testing across real-world hardware and usage scenarios before new experiences reach Windows Insiders, and a more intentional approach to where and how new capabilities are introduced. The result will be higher quality builds, more meaningful innovation and greater flexibility in choosing what you want to try,” the company said today.