3 Ways to Disable Background Apps on Windows 11

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Method 1: Use the Settings App

The easiest way to prevent apps from running in the background is via theSettings app on Windows 11. So, let’s start with that.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Ito launch the Settings app and head toApps > Installed apps.

Step 2:Scroll down or use the search bar at the top to locate the app you wish to disable. Click thethree-dot menunext to it and selectAdvanced options.

Step 3:Under Background apps permissions, use the drop-down menu and chooseNever.

You can repeat the same steps above to prevent other apps from running in the background.

Method 2: Edit Group Policy

Group Policy on Windowsis a useful tool for making system-wide changes in Windows. You can also use the Group Policy Editor to disable all the apps from running in the background at once.

Note:Group Policy Editor is not available in the Windows 11 Home edition.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog. Type ingpedit.mscand pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Group Policy window, use the left pane to navigate to the following folder.

Step 3:On your right, double-click onLet Windows apps run in the backgroundpolicy.

Step 4:SelectDisabledand clickApplyfollowed byOK.

Method 3: Tweak Windows Registry

You can also modify a few registry files to disable background apps on Windows 11. Here’s how.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + R, type inregedit, and pressEnter.

Step 2:Use the address bar at the top to navigate to the following key:

Step 3:Right-click on theWindowskey, go toNewand selectKey. Name itAppPrivacy.

Step 4:Inside the AppPrivacy key, right-click anywhere on the empty space, go toNew, and selectDWORD (32-bit) Value. Name itLetAppsRunInBackground.

Step 5:Double-click the newly created key and change its value to2. Then clickOK.

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Last updated on 26 July, 2024

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