How to Completely Disable ‘Background Apps’ via Group Policy in Windows 11

In modern Windows environments, Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store (such as Calculator, Photos, Xbox, or third-party utilities) are designed to continue running suspended in the background even after you close their windows. This allows them to receive notifications, sync data, and stay up-to-date. However, on highly resource-constrained hardware, virtual machines, or dedicated rendering workstations where every cycle of CPU and megabyte of RAM is critical for foreground productivity, these background apps are a persistent performance drain. In an enterprise setting, you want the OS strictly dedicated to the active workload.

This guide explains how to completely disable UWP Background Apps system-wide using the Group Policy Editor in Windows 11, forcing all modern apps to terminate the moment they are closed.

Disable Background Apps via Group Policy

To enforce a strict block that prevents all UWP applications from running silently in the background, we must deploy an administrative template. Note that this requires Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.

1. Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
2. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
3. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
4. In the left-hand navigation pane, strictly follow this exact path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Privacy

5. In the right-hand pane, scroll down to locate the policy named Let Windows apps run in the background.
6. Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
7. Select the radio button next to Enabled.
8. Crucially, look under the “Options” section in the lower-left pane. Change the “Default for all apps” dropdown menu to Force Deny.
9. Click Apply, then click OK.

Verify the Performance Gains

To enforce the change immediately across the system, open an elevated Command Prompt and execute gpupdate /force. A system reboot is highly recommended to clear out any currently suspended processes.

To verify the restriction is active, open the Windows Settings app (Win+I) and navigate to Apps > Installed apps. Select any modern UWP app (like Calculator), click the three dots, and choose Advanced options. Under the “Background apps permissions” section, the dropdown menu will be entirely greyed out and set to “Never”, with a red warning banner stating “Some of these settings are hidden or managed by your organization.” Your system resources are now completely shielded from background UWP interference.