How to Turn Off Background Apps on Windows 11

Windows 11 allows each application to run in the background while you are busy with another task on the front.

Sure, background apps can be useful in certain scenarios; however, they ultimately end up clogging your RAM and CPU cycle, among other system resources.

If there’s an application you don’t need to operate in the background, it’s smarter to turn off its background permission. This implies to third-party applications such as your messaging app or your music player.

But, be sure not to disable the background services of built-in system applications, as these are required for your system to function properly. 

So, this guide lists every possible method you can use to disable background app permission on your system. Be sure to stay with us till the end to understand the core idea and effectively turn off background apps on Windows 11. 

Turn Off Background Apps in Windows 11 for Individual User

Windows 11 allows you to turn off background settings for applications that apply to only that particular user. Logging in to Windows from a different user changes the background permission of the same app back to default for this user.

So, taking this into consideration, follow the methods shown below to turn off background apps for a single user.

Via App Settings

As probably the simplest method out of the bunch, background permissions for any application can easily be turned off directly from the app settings.

Here, you’ll be able to choose either one of the following; completely turn off the background services, never turn them off, or run these services in a power-optimized mode. Anyways, the steps below show you how to do it.

1. Click on the Start menu and select Settings.
2. Select Apps from the left panel. 
3. Click on Apps & Features. 
4. Click the three dots beside the app you want to disable the background service of. 
5. Select Advanced Options. 
6. Set Background apps permissions to Never.
   

Via Power & Battery Settings

This method is applicable if you want to turn off background settings for an application depending on the power it consumes over a period of time.

This can help you determine the top applications that usually have the highest battery usage. Follow the steps below to do so: 

1. Click on the Start menu and select Settings. 
2. On System settings, select Power & battery.
3. Click on Battery Usage. 
4. Set Battery level to Last 7 days.
   
5. Click the three dots beside the app you want to disable the background service of.
6. Select Manage background activity.
7. Set Background apps permissions to Never.
   

Via the Registry

The registry is a database consisting of configuration settings that determine how the software and hardware function on your system. So, you can create a registry file and run this file as an administrator to disable background apps for an individual user.

Here are the steps to do so:

1. Open the Run command box by pressing Windows key + R. 
2. Type and enter Notepad. 
3. Type the following command:
   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications]
"GlobalUserDisabled"=-[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search]
   
4. Click on File and select Save as.
5. Set the file name as Turn_On_Background_Apps_for_current_user.reg
6. Set the file type as All Files.
   
7. Close Notepad and navigate to the folder where you saved this file. 
8.  Right-click on this file and select Open. 
9. Click Yes when prompted to modify registry entries.
10. If it runs without any error, reboot your PC. The changes will now be saved. 

Turn Off Background Apps in Windows 11 for All Users

Windows 11 also allows you to turn off background apps that apply to all user profiles saved to your PC. In this case, if you turn off the background app from one user, then this change will apply to other users as well.  There are a couple of methods to do so and both of them are listed below. 

Via the Registry

You can turn off background apps on your system by simply altering the registry entry. A suitable value data set in the registry entry can help you accomplish this task.

However, keep in mind that a minor error on the registry can lead to system failures and configuration errors. So, it’s best to back up your registry before making any changes to it.

So, keeping this in mind, follow the methods shown below to turn off background apps for all users.

1. Open the Run command box by pressing Windows key + R. 
2. Type and enter regedit. 
3. Navigate to the following address:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
4. On the Windows key, locate AppPrivary.
   However, if this is not available to you, right-click on Windows and select New followed by Key. Rename this key as AppPrivacy. 
5. Now, right-click on AppPrivacy, select New followed by DWORD (32-bit) value and name it LetAppsRunInBackground
   
6. Right click on LetAppsRunInBackground and select Modify. 
7. Here, set the value data as 2 and click OK. 
   
8. Restart your computer.
   Now, all Microsoft store apps will be disabled from operating in the background.

Via the Group Policy Editor

The group policy editor is a feature provided by the Windows OS that can be used to set a suitable working environment for all the users’ accounts in your system. It is not available on the Home edition of Windows 11.

However, for Pro, Education and Enterprise editions, Group Policy Editor can be used to turn off background apps for all users and this can be done by following the steps shown below. 

1. Press the Windows key to open your Start menu. 
2. Type and then go to Edit group policy.
3. Now, navigate to this location:
   Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy​ 
4. Double click on Let Windows apps run in the background. 
5. Select Enabled on the option box. 
6. Set Default for all apps to Force Deny. 
   
7. Click Apply followed by OK to save your changes.