Stop Microsoft Teams Starting Automatically in Windows 11

Here are 2 simple methods to prevent Microsoft Teams from starting automatically when Windows starts.

If you’ve installed Microsoft Teams, it will automatically start when Windows starts. That way, it will be available to use as soon as you sign into your user account. While this is a good thing and makes it always available, there might be times when you want to disable Microsoft Teams from auto-starting with Windows. For example, maybe the Teams app is increasing the overall startup time, you don’t want Teams blasting notifications as soon as you log into your user account, or you simply don’t use Teams.

On Windows 11, you have two methods to stop Teams from auto-starting with Windows 11. You can disable it either via the Task Manager’s Startup Apps section or in the Teams settings. I will show both methods. Let’s get started.

Does Microsoft Teams Starting Automatically Increase Boot Time?

For the most part, Microsoft Teams starting automatically is not a major bottleneck. i.e., will not increase the boot time or slow down the system by that much, especially on modern machines with decent hardware specs. However, on older machines or when you don’t need it, it is just an unnecessary application in the Windows 11 Startup list. In those cases, it is better to disable it.

Stop Microsoft Teams Auto-Starting in Windows 11 Using Task Manager

To disable Microsoft Teams from starting automatically, you need to disable its entry in the Task Manager’s Startup list. This is the simplest way and works for all versions of Teams. Let me show you how.

1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.
2. Select the “Task Manager” option.
3. Go to the “Startup apps” tab on the left sidebar.
4. Select the “Microsoft Teams” entry.
5. Click the “Disable” button at the top.
6. With that, you’ve disabled Microsoft Teams from starting automatically.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

The Task Manager can manage all the startup applications. So, we need to open it first. To do that, right-click the Start button on the taskbar and select “Task Manager“. Alternatively, you can also press the “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” shortcut.

After opening the Task Manager, go to the “Startup apps” tab on the left sidebar. This is where you will find all the applications in the Startup list. Here, find and select the “Microsoft Teams” entry. Next, click the “Disable” button at the top.

Important note: If you don’t see the left sidebar, it is hidden. Click the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner.

As soon as you do that, Windows 11 will remove Microsoft Teams from the Startup list. i.e., Microsoft Teams no longer starts automatically on boot.

Modify Microsoft Teams Settings to Disable Auto-Start

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Search and open “Microsoft Teams“.
3. Click the “Settings and more” icon on the title bar.
4. Select the “Settings” option.
5. Go to the “General” tab.
6. Uncheck the “Auto-start Teams” under the “System” section.
7. Close the Teams window.
8. With that, Microsoft Teams is disabled from starting with Windows 11.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

First, open the Microsoft Teams app. You can do that by searching for “Microsoft Teams” in the Start menu. Once the app opens, click the “Settings and more” icon (three horizontal dots) at the top right of the title bar. Select the “Settings” option.

The above action opens the Teams settings page. Here, go to the “General” tab on the sidebar. Next, uncheck the “Auto-start Teams” checkbox under the “System” section on the right panel.

Your changes are saved automatically. You can close the Settings page or the Team app entirely. That is it. It is that simple to stop Microsoft Teams from starting automatically at system startup in Windows 11.

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to help you.

Update: This guide has been updated to reflect changes in Windows 11 and to add an extra method (Teams settings).