Windows 11 can sometimes feel a bit sluggish — apps running in the background, slowing things down, draining the battery, and just making everything tick over slower than it should. If your machine’s feeling heavy or the battery’s draining faster than normal, a simple fix is to shut down those background apps. Turns out, it’s pretty easy: head into Settings, find the Privacy & Security section, then click on Background Apps. From there, you can switch off the apps you don’t really need running all the time. Fair dinkum, right? Bit odd how Windows hides that stuff, but here’s how I’ve done it on a few setups.
How to Stop Apps Running in the Background on Windows 11
Step 1: Open the Start Menu
First up, click on the Start button — that’s the Windows logo at the bottom left. It’ll bring up a menu — sometimes a bit messy, but you’ll get the hang of where everything is. If your PC’s running slow, you could try a quick Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart explorer.exe or just restart your machine. But for background apps, that’s usually not necessary.
Step 2: Access Settings
Click on the gear icon or type Settings into the search bar. Easy as. It’s that gear-shaped icon. Inside Settings, you’ll find all the tweaks — including the privacy stuff. Usually, people jump straight to Privacy & Security because that’s where the background app controls are.
Step 3: Head to Privacy & Security
Within Settings, click Privacy & Security. This is where Windows crunches the privacy controls — including which apps can run in the background. Honestly, could do with making this stuff a bit easier to find, but you’ll spot Background Apps eventually.
Step 4: Click on Background Apps
Once there, scroll down to find Background Apps. On some setups, you might see a toggle called Let apps run in the background. Turn that off if you want to stop everything, but for more control, you’ll see a list of specific apps below. Handy if you want Outlook to keep checking your emails but don’t want Spotify running in the background. Sometimes, turning this off stops most apps, but occasionally, new ones reappear later, so it’s a bit of ongoing tidying.
Step 5: Turn Off the Apps You Don’t Need
Now, flick the switches next to each app to turn them off. Even if you hardly use the app, it might still be running in the background — annoying if you’re trying to save resources or just want a leaner rig. Just remember, some apps like antivirus or VPNs might need to stay on for security. That’s the trade-off. For quick reference next time, check out this official guide for a bit more detail.
You should notice your system feeling a lot snappier after this. The responsiveness improves, and the battery lasts longer — especially handy on laptops. Sometimes, it doesn’t kick in straight away; a restart or log out might be needed, but most of the time, it’s a quick fix. Windows can be a bit quirky about these things, but this method tends to do the trick.
Tips for Stopping Apps Running in Background on Windows 11
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) if you’re curious about what’s really running under the hood. Not everything listed is active, but it’s a good place to start.
- Keep critical apps like your antivirus or firewall turned on — no need to ditch security for a bit of smooth sailing.
- Check this list now and then — new apps might sneak in and run in the background without you noticing.
- Use the Task Manager’s Processes tab for a more detailed look at what’s gobbling resources. Sometimes you’ll spot surprises eating CPU or RAM.
- Turn off notifications from apps you don’t care about — less clutter, less background activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which apps are running in the background?
Mostly, Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) will tell you what’s active. Some apps also put banners or icons in the system tray, but that’s not always the full story.
Will stopping background apps help my battery last longer?
Absolutely. Especially if you’re on a laptop and don’t really need some apps checking for updates all the time. Turning off unnecessary background stuff frees up resources and saves battery.
Can I turn apps back on later if I change my mind?
Sure thing. Just head back to Settings > Privacy & Security > Background Apps and switch them back on — piece of piss.
Are there risks in turning off background apps?
Most apps are safe to disable — they won’t stop working altogether. But some system tools or security apps might need to stay on for full protection, so be careful with those. Windows might also re-enable some apps after an update, so it’s worth having a quick squeeze now and then.
Is there a way to turn off all apps at once?
Unfortunately, no. You gotta turn each one off individually. There are some third-party apps claiming to do it, but I’d be wary — could cause issues or security risks.
Summary
- Open the Start menu and head to Settings.
- Click on Privacy & Security.
- Choose Background Apps.
- Switch off what you don’t need – easy as.
Hopefully, this helps clear the backlog and gives your machine a bit of a breather. It’s a small tweak, but on a slow or battery-drained rig, it can make a big difference. Sometimes you need a reboot or log out for everything to fully stop, but most times, this does the trick. Worked on a bunch of setups. Cheers, hope it helps mate!