Even when you close an application on Windows 11, it might not actually stop running. Many apps—especially messaging clients, cloud storage services, and pre-installed Windows utilities—continue to operate silently in the background. They do this to download updates, fetch new notifications, and ensure they open instantly the next time you click them.
While this is convenient for apps you use every day, having dozens of unnecessary programs running in the background will drain your laptop’s battery, consume valuable RAM, and slow down your overall system performance.
In this guide, we will show you how to take control of your system resources by stopping unwanted apps from running in the background on Windows 11.
How to Stop Background Apps via Settings
In older versions of Windows 10, there was a single master switch to turn off all background apps. In Windows 11, Microsoft changed this approach to give you more granular control, requiring you to manage permissions on a per-app basis.
- Click on the Start button and select Settings (gear icon).
- In the left-hand sidebar, click on Apps.
- Select Installed apps. A list of every program installed on your computer will appear.
- Scroll through the list and find an app you rarely use but suspect is running in the background (for example, the “Xbox” app or “Cortana”).
- Click the three horizontal dots (…) next to the app’s name and select Advanced options.
- Scroll down to the section labelled Background apps permissions.
- Click the dropdown menu under “Let this app run in background.” You will see three options:
- Always: The app is allowed to run constantly, ignoring battery saving modes.
- Power optimised (Recommended): Windows will let it run, but will pause it if your battery gets too low.
- Never: The app is completely blocked from running unless you actively open it on your screen.
- Select Never.
Repeat this process for any app you do not want consuming system resources while hidden.
What If “Advanced Options” Is Missing?
You might notice that the “Advanced options” menu is missing for certain programs, particularly traditional desktop software (like Google Chrome or Adobe Acrobat). The Settings menu described above only controls modern “UWP” apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store.
To stop traditional desktop programs from running in the background, you usually have to change a setting within the app itself.
- Google Chrome/Edge: Open the browser, go to Settings > System, and turn off the toggle switch for “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed.”
- Spotify/Discord/Teams: Check your system tray (the small icons in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar, near the clock). If the app’s icon is there, it is running in the background. Right-click the icon and select Quit or Exit. To stop them from launching in the background permanently, you will need to disable them in the Startup menu via the Task Manager.
Use Battery Saver Mode for a Quick Fix
If you are travelling and need to immediately stop all background activity to preserve your laptop’s battery, simply turn on Battery Saver mode.
Click the battery icon on your taskbar, then click the Battery saver tile. When this mode is active, Windows 11 automatically pauses all background syncing, email fetching, and background app activity until you plug your laptop back into a charger.
