Background apps

How do I permanently turn off background apps in Windows 10?

Design by Muntaha / TechEngage

Background apps use plenty of resources when they continue to run in the background, like Google Chrome (The RAM eater -_-). If you are experiencing lag while using your PC/laptop, background apps might be one of the reasons behind it. Try disabling background apps, or you can speed up your Windows 10 device using this guide.

Follow these simple steps to disable background apps in Windows 10:

Open the Settings app

Use the Windows+I key shortcut or click the cogwheel icon in the Start menu to open the Settings app.

Click on Privacy and navigate to Background apps

Click on Privacy and scroll down to find Background apps.

Scroll down and click “Background apps”

Disable “Let apps run in the background” button, present under “Background Apps”

Click “Let apps run in the background” button and disable all background apps at once.

Or manually disable apps one by one by turning them off.

You can choose which apps can run in the background and receive info, send notifications, and stay up-to-date, even when you’re not using them. Turning background apps off can help conserve power and save resources.

Bonus Tip: You can also disable startup apps to save battery and limit RAM usage in Windows 10.

This post was orginally published on: September 3, 2021 and was updated on: May 3, 2022.

Related Tags: Windows 10 WindowsGuide

I'm a computer scientist turned tech writer and now a certified Growth Hacker. (Still, a CS at heart, though) An online entrepreneur, known as abdugeek. Loves animals, especially fish, and deeply cares about his ventures — founder of GameBird Media and co(s). Find me @abdugeek everywhere. Read more at about.me/abdugeek

Reader Interactions

On Windows 10, many apps you download from the Microsoft Store will continue to run in the background to take advantage of additional features, such as the ability to download data, update Live Tiles, and show notifications.

Although these features can be useful in a number of scenarios, apps running in the background (even when you didn't start them) can drain battery, waste bandwidth and system resources. Luckily, if keeping apps updated isn't something important for you, Windows 10 ships with settings to control which apps are allowed to operate in the background.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to prevent apps from running in the background.

How to stop background apps using Privacy settings
How to stop background apps using System settings

How to stop background apps using Privacy settings

To disable apps from running in the background wasting system resources, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Privacy.
Click on Background apps.
Under the "Choose which apps can run in the background" section, turn off the toggle switch for the apps you want to restrict.

Alternatively, under the "Background Apps" section, you can turn off the Let apps in the background toggle switch to prevent any app from running in the background toggle switch.

Once you've completed the steps, you can still use the apps normally, but when you close them, all the processes will be terminated until you launch the app again.

How to stop background apps using System settings

Alternatively, on laptops and tablets, it's also possible to prevent apps from running in the background enabling the Battery Saver mode.

While the feature will enable automatically as the battery life drops below 20 percent, you can enable the mode manually at any time using these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click on Battery.
Under the "Battery saver" section, turn off the Battery saver status until next charge toggle switch.Quick Tip: It's also possible to turn on Battery saver by clicking the battery icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar and clicking the Battery saver button.

After completing the steps, none of your apps will be allowed to run in the background while the feature is enabled.

These instructions only apply for apps you acquired from the Microsoft store. If you're looking to stop classic applications from using background resources, you need to close the program manually and make sure to stop the program from running at startup.

Update January 28, 2019: This guide has been revised to make sure it's current with the latest version of Windows 10.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. He has an IT background with professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, and CompTIA, and he's a recognized member of the Microsoft MVP community.

How do I permanently close background apps?

Close all apps: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, then let go. Swipe from left to right. On the left, tap Clear all. Close all apps on Android Go: Swipe up from the bottom, hold, and let go.

How do I close all unnecessary background programs?

Do this through the following steps:.

Go to Search. Type cmd and open Command Prompt..

Once there, enter this line taskkill /f /fi “status eq not responding” and then press Enter..

This command should end all processes deemed unresponding..

What if I turn off all background apps Windows 10?

Turning background apps off can help conserve power and save resources. Bonus Tip: You can also disable startup apps to save battery and limit RAM usage in Windows 10.