All installed store apps in Windows 10 run in the background all the time. Stop background apps in Windows 10 and save RAM & Processor power.
Windows 10 comes with many built-in store apps that can be uninstalled. Additionally, you can install more from the Microsoft store with just a few clicks. All the installed store apps on Windows 10 have the permission to always run in the background by default. For instance, whether you start them or not, apps like Movies and TV, Your Phone app that lets you connect Android to Windows 10, Maps, Messages, etc., have the permission to always run in the background by default. More often than not, they do quietly run in the background.
By revoking the “let apps run in the background” or Background Apps permission, you can stop background apps in Windows 10. Thankfully, it is pretty easy to stop background running apps in Windows 10. Let me show you how.
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What Happens When You Stop Background Apps in Windows 10
There are a couple of things you should know before stopping background apps in Windows 10.
1. The procedure shown below only applies to Microsoft Store apps. If you want to stop regular win32 apps like Firefox and Chrome, you need to find suitable options on that specific application settings page.
2. When you stop an app from running in the background, it cannot perform background tasks like showing notifications, reminder alerts, etc. If you are only looking to disable app notifications from a specific app, you can do that separately.
3. Once the apps are stopped from running in the background, you need to start the app manually to use them. Moreover, as soon as you close the app, they no longer run in the background.
Stop Running Background Apps
When it comes to stopping background apps, you can either stop all the apps or pick and choose the app that can and cannot run in the background. I will show both approaches. Use the one you need.
Stop All Background Apps in Windows 10
- Open the settings app by pressing the keyboard shortcut Win + I.
- Go to the “Privacy” page.
- On the left panel, scroll down and select “Background Apps” tab.
- On the right panel, toggle the switch under “Lets apps run in the background” to “Off” position.
That is all. As soon as you switch off the toggle, all Microsoft store apps stop running in the background. In the future, to allow the apps to run in the background, toggle the switch to the “On” position in step 4.
Stop Specific Background Apps in Windows 10 (Individual Apps)
- Open the settings app by pressing the keyboard shortcut Win + I.
- Go to the “Privacy” page.
- On the left panel, scroll down and select “Background Apps” tab.
- On the right-panel, scroll down and find the app you want to stop from running the background.
- Next, toggle the switch next to the app to the “Off” position.
That is all. From now on, that specific app will not run in the background. If you want to reverse the change, you have to switch the toggle to the “On” position in step 5.
Comment below if you face any problems while stopping background apps in Windows 10 or to share to thoughts. Also, do check out how to boost volume in Windows 10.
