- The Windows 11 June Update is now here
- It includes three key features, one of which is speeding up the loading of core menus and apps in Windows 11
- There’s also a smart split audio feature and a boost to search
Windows 11’s latest update is here, and the June patch brings with it a few key changes and some useful additional tweaks.
I have selected the top three features as announced by Microsoft in what is officially called the KB5094126 patch (where does it get these catchy names?) for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. I’ll also round up the minor changes in a final section so you can see everything that’s new with the June update.
But I’ll get to the most important addition right away, as it’s a big one that makes Windows 11 feel much more responsive.
1. Low Latency Profile sounds boring, but should speed up Windows 11 significantly
The June Update represents the beginning of the rollout of the Low Latency Profile (LLP), a feature that I and many others have been eagerly awaiting because it significantly speeds up the general operation of some core Windows 11 features (or at least it should).
Windows Latest spotted this rolling out with the latest Windows 11 update, as part of a ‘general performance’ tweak, with Microsoft telling us: “This update accelerates app launch and core shell experiences such as the Start menu, Search and Action Center.”
LLP means that the operating system encourages the processor to increase its speed – by putting the accelerator flat on the floor, effectively, for a short time (one to three seconds) – when you open an app or a Windows 11 menu. In short, whatever app or menu loads appears a whole lot faster. (Wonder why Microsoft didn’t do this in the first place with Windows 11? I’ve discussed it before along with criticism of this technique for being a ‘fudge’).
The catch is that, as mentioned, this is a controlled rollout, meaning it’s gradually coming to Windows 11 PCs. So if you run out and install the June update now, you probably won’t get LLP right away and may have to wait a bit. How long? I refer you to the common adage of a piece of string because the progress of this rollout will depend on what Microsoft finds as it monitors the PCs that get the feature.
The problem is that there won’t be any notification that LLP is arriving on your system, so the only way you’ll know it’s there is if you’ll suddenly notice apps and menus load much faster (well, hopefully).
As Windows Latest points out, you can confirm the presence of LLP by installing a utility to monitor your PC’s hardware, such as HWMonitor, which displays the CPU’s speed (frequency) in real time. If the feature is active on your PC, you will notice a large increase (to maximum speed or very close) when opening software or menus that trigger LLP. (Try the Start menu or Action Center and see).
(One final note: Windows Latest details how to force enable LLP if you’ve installed the June update but don’t yet have it. I wouldn’t do that though, as it involves some fiddling around with a Windows configuration tool. More to the point, Microsoft is rolling out this feature gradually, with careful monitoring, for a reason, so it might not be the best idea to run out like this).
2. Shared audio experience
This is a relatively simple idea, but a nice addition to Windows 11 nonetheless. The new split audio feature allows you to do just that – send the audio from your PC to two different outputs.
So, for example, if you are traveling with someone on the train and want to watch a movie on your laptop together, you can also have the sound sent to your headphones and your friend’s earphones.
3. Windows 11 search improvement
This one is an even more basic tweak, but still a useful one. Starting with the June update, when you use the search function in Windows 11, the operating system will start showing you possible results with as few as two characters that have been entered. This means you can see the query you want faster, saving you some time.
Bigger changes are also coming to Windows 11 search, including the ability to handle long compound filenames better (which is now being tested), and hopefully we’ll eventually get the most important feature of all – the ability to get rid of web results in search.
Other changes with Windows 11’s June Update
This latest update also brings improvements on the accessibility front, with Magnifier now able to provide “clearer and more consistent messages” when working with a screen reader (such as announcing when zooming in or out).
There’s also a new Multi-App camera feature, which means multiple applications can access your webcam at the same time. And finally, a small tweak to the installation process: During setup, Windows 11 now allows you to choose a custom name for the user folder.
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