Windows 11 gets a modernized Run dialog that beats the 30-year-old original on speed

Microsoft is testing a redesigned Run dialog in Windows 11 preview build 26300.8346, replacing the Win+R utility that has shipped largely unchanged since Windows 95. The rewrite adopts Fluent Design and dark mode while clocking a median time-to-show of 94ms versus the legacy dialog’s 103ms — a notable result given modern Windows UI surfaces typically regress on performance.

The team instrumented the existing dialog to learn how it was actually used before cutting features. The Browse button, used by under 0.0038% of a 35-million-user sample, was dropped. Additions include ~\ shortcut expansion to the home directory and icons next to entries in the recent list. The new dialog is opt-in via Settings > Advanced Settings rather than a forced replacement.

The same build also lets users install apps directly from the Share UI instead of routing through the Microsoft Store first, and gives Magnifier preset zoom levels from 5% to 400%. Rollout is gated to the Experimental Channel for now.