Background apps in Windows perform specific actions continuously, whether carrying out updates or gathering the latest data when not in use. Regardless of how efficiently the deployed system manages and saves battery in the background applications, it can still exhaust the power to a considerable extent while magnifying data consumption. However, the good news is Windows 11 allows one to disable background apps from running in the background either individually or aggregately.
Why Do Apps Keep Running in the Background
Some apps need to run in the background for several purposes. It could be for fetching emails, support notifications, checking for an update, etc. What matters is how efficiently the developer has implemented the method so it doesn’t consume many resources.
How to Disable Background Apps in Windows 11/10?
You can disable background apps for individual users using the options directly available in Windows or Registry or Group Policy.
- Windows Settings
- Battery Settings
- Registry Method for Current User
- Registry Method for All Users
- Group Policy Editor
Some of these methods will need admin permission. We recommend you take a backup of the Registry or create a System Restore point in case of any problem where the system becomes unusable.
1] Disable Background Apps From Windows Settings
If you want to disable background apps on your PC one at a time, it can be done in the following manner-
- Open Windows Settings or press Win+I(shortcut).
- Click on the Apps tab.
- Choose the Apps and Features option.
- Go to the App whose background permission you want to modify. You can also search if the app list is long.
- Click on the three dots menu displayed beside the application name and choose the Advanced options. If you can’t locate the advanced features, the app doesn’t support changing the permission manually.
- Scroll down the Background apps permissions panel.
- Click the drop-down bar for Let this app run in the background and opt for Never.
What if the option is missing?
Some apps offer a method to disable or reduce the background process from within the settings. If you cannot find it, you can disable such apps from battery settings for laptops.
Along with this, you can also disable them from Startup. It will ensure that the app doesn’t launch unless you want to use them.
2] Disable Background Apps From the Battery Settings
In Windows 11, the Power & battery window gives insights into the battery usage of the applications installed on a computer. However, if excessive battery drainage is the problem, it can be resolved in the below-mentioned steps:
- Go to the Settings menu.
- Select System from the left side.
- Now, choose the Power & battery option on the right.
- Click on the Battery usage button under the Battery section.
- Next, go to the drop-down for Battery levels and choose Last 7 days to identify those apps consuming the battery in the last week.
- Navigate to Battery usage by app led by clicking on the three dots displayed on the right side of the selected apps. Then choose the option Manage background activity. If you can’t spot the menu in a particular app, changing the background app permission isn’t supported.
- Go to the drop-down and choose Background apps permissions. Click on Never. Repeat the process for different apps.
3] Disable Background Apps for the Current User
When sharing the PC with multiple users, you can disable background apps for one user. Start creating a registry file and run it with administration. The entailing steps can guide you in the endeavor:
- Open the Run dialogue by pressing Win+R.
- Then type notepad and select OK. It will open the text editor app.
- Next, copy and paste the below content into the notepad:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications] "GlobalUserDisabled"=- [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search] "BackgroundAppGlobalToggle"=-
- Press Win+S to open the Save dialog and save the file with reg extension, i.e., disableback.reg
- Now, right-click on the reg file and click on Open.
- Choose Yes to merge the changes with the Registry.
If no error shows up while running the program, restart the computer to implement the necessary changes.
4] Disable Background Apps for All Users With Registry Editor
One can disable background apps for all users by creating and changing entries in the Registry Editor. But before you begin, a System Restore point must be there for retrieving the computer to the actual state if anything fails to go right at the time of modification. Let’s get started in the following steps:
- Press Win+R to open the Run window.
- Now type regedit and select OK. Next, click on Yes to allow administrative access to open the Registry Editor.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows in the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to the Windows key. Then locate the AppPrivacy key. If it’s not available, create a new key by right-clicking on the Windows key and choosing New> Key. However, you have to rename it AppPrivacy.
- Now, right-click on the newly created key and choose New> DWORD(32-bit) Value. Rename the value as LetAppsRunInBackground.
- Again right-click on the created value and choose the Modify option. Enter 2 in the Value data field and select OK.
- Close the Registry Editor and restart the PC.
5] Disable Background App With Group Policy Editor
Group Policy Editor is exclusively available on Education, pro, and Enterprise versions of the Windows Operating System. However, you can also enable the Group Policy Editor on Windows Home.
- Press Win and type group policy. Choose the option of Edit group policy from search results.
- Next, go to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy.
- Find out the option of Let Windows apps run in the background policy on the right bar. Double click on it.
- A new window will appear. Choose Enabled from it.
- Then, navigate to the Options section and click on the drop-down list for Default for all apps. Choose Force Deny and click on OK, then Apply. Thus, all the changes will be saved.
This method is ideal for system administrators who are into fixing more than one system.
Conclusion
If you encounter slow system performance, disabling background apps might or might not solve such a problem. On the flip side, you must try to remodel the operating system, check the storage specifics, and upgrade the hardware to improve the system’s overall performance.
What Happens if I Turn off All Background Apps?
Nothing major will happen, except that some of the features or apps you start using right away will not be available. For example, if you use a Screenshot app, and it doesn’t launch or keeps running in the background, you will not be able to use it.
How Do I Stop Non-Microsoft Store Apps From Running in the Background?
Check if the software has a service and an option to disable background services from within the application. Most of these apps come with a service that gets triggered through Startup or task schedulers. You can disable them from any of these methods.
