Windows 11 sometimes acts like it’s carrying extra weight—apps running in the background, slowing everything down, gobbling up battery, and just generally making things feel sluggish. If you’ve noticed your system dragging or the battery draining faster than usual, one easy fix is to shut down those background apps. Turns out, it’s pretty straightforward: go into Settings, find the Privacy & Security section, then click on Background Apps. From there, you can toggle off what you don’t really need running constantly. Simple, right? Well, kinda weird how Windows makes that a bit hidden, but here’s how I did it on a few different setups.
How to Stop Apps Running in Background Windows 11
Step 1: Open the Start Menu
First thing, obviously, click on the Start button. It’s the Windows logo at the bottom left. It opens up a menu—sometimes more chaos than help, but you’ll get used to where things are. If it’s really slow, might be worth trying a quick Ctrl + Alt + Del to reboot explorer.exe or just restarting the PC, but for background apps, this shouldn’t be necessary.
Step 2: Access Settings
Click on the gear icon or type Settings in the search bar. Again, it’s that gear-shaped thing. In Settings, you’ll find all the tweaks, including the privacy stuff. Most times, people go straight to Privacy & Security because that’s where background app controls live.
Step 3: Navigate to Privacy & Security
Inside Settings, click Privacy & Security. Here’s where Windows groups the privacy controls, including which apps can run in the background. Honestly, this is one of those spots where Windows could do a better job hiding things, but eventually, you’ll find Background Apps.
Step 4: Click on Background Apps
Once there, scroll down to find Background Apps. On some setups, you might see a toggle labeled Let apps run in the background. Turn that off if you want a blanket stop, but for more control, you’ll see a list of individual apps below. That’s useful if, say, you want Outlook to keep checking emails, but not Spotify to run in the background. On some machines, toggling this off once makes almost everything stop; on others, new apps seem to pop up later, so it’s a bit of ongoing tidying.
Step 5: Turn off Unnecessary Apps
Now, to prevent specific apps from running, toggle off the switches next to their names. Even if you don’t use an app much, it might still run in some background mode — which is kind of annoying if you’re dealing with low resources or just want a leaner experience. Don’t forget, some apps like antivirus or VPNs might need to stay on for security reasons. That’s the trade-off. Also, for quick access next time, use this official guide if you want a bit more detail.
Expect a noticeable boost in responsiveness afterward. The system feels snappier and the battery tends to last longer, especially on laptops. Sometimes, this tweak doesn’t immediately kick in—on some setups, a restart helps, others might need a log off or re-log on. Weird system quirks, but hey, Windows has to make things a little harder than they should.
Tips for Stopping Apps Running in Background Windows 11
- Check your Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) if you’re curious about what’s really running. Not everything you see in the app list is necessarily active, but it’s a good start.
- Keep critical apps like your antivirus or firewall active — no need to freeze your security.
- Review this list once in a while—installing new apps might add themselves to the background list without much warning.
- Use the Task Manager’s Processes tab for a more detailed look into resource hogs. Sometimes, you spot surprise processes eating CPU or RAM.
- Disable notifications from apps you don’t care about—less distraction, less background activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which apps are running in the background?
Most of the time, Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) will show you what’s active. Also, some apps show banners or icons in the system tray, but that’s not always reliable for background processes.
Will stopping background apps improve battery life?
Heck yeah. Especially if you’re on a laptop and don’t actually need some app checking stuff all the time. Disabling unnecessary background activity frees up resources and battery power.
Can I re-enable an app later if I change my mind?
For sure. Just go back to Settings > Privacy & Security > Background Apps and toggle it back on. Easy peasy.
Are there risks to stopping background apps?
Mostly safe—most apps won’t break if you turn them off. But some system tools or security apps might lose functionality, so toggle those with caution. During some updates, Windows might re-enable certain apps, so it’s worth checking from time to time.
Is there a way to stop all apps at once?
Sadly, not quite. You gotta toggle each one individually. Some third-party tools promise to do this, but be cautious—most aren’t worth risking stability or security.
Summary
- Hit the Start menu and open Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security.
- Click on Background Apps.
- Toggle off what you don’t need manually.
Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone. It’s a small step, but on a slow or battery-drained machine, it can make a big difference. Don’t forget, Windows is weird about these things, so sometimes you need a reboot or log out for everything to actually stop. But yeah, this approach usually does the trick. Just something that worked on multiple machines. Fingers crossed this helps.