To stop background apps on Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select More options (…) next to an app, choose Advanced options, and set Let this app run in background to Never. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Privacy > Background apps. Desktop programs do not use this setting; control them from Startup apps, Task Manager and their own settings instead.
This guide covers both kinds of app, how to see what is running, and how to tell which background programs are using the network, where the free edition of Port Detective can help.
How do I turn off background apps in Windows 11?
These steps come from Microsoft’s Windows background apps and your privacy page:
- Select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Scroll to the app, select More options on the right edge of the window, then select Advanced options.
- In the Background app permissions section, under Let this app run in background, choose:
- Always: the app keeps receiving info, sending notifications and staying up to date. Microsoft notes this may use more power.
- Power optimized (recommended): Windows decides what saves the most power while still allowing notifications and periodic updates.
- Never: the app does not run in the background.
From battery settings. On laptops, Microsoft’s battery saving tips add a second route: Settings > System > Power & battery > Battery usage. Under Battery usage per app, see which apps use battery in the background, select More options > Manage background activity for an app that allows it, and change Let this app run in the background.
How do I turn off background apps in Windows 10?
- Select Start > Settings > Privacy > Background apps.
- To stop most apps at once, turn Let apps run in the background Off.
- Or leave it on and, under Choose which apps can run in the background, turn individual apps On or Off.
Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so these settings will not change further.
Why don’t I see “Let this app run in background” for some apps?
Because it only applies to apps that Windows manages this way, mostly those from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft’s exception note is short: “Desktop apps don’t appear in Installed apps. To allow or block them, use the app’s own settings.”
Desktop apps are the traditional .exe programs: browsers, chat clients, cloud drives, game launchers, updaters. Many of them keep running in the notification area after you close their window. For those, look in the app’s settings for options such as “run in background”, “keep running when closed” or “start with Windows”, and quit from the tray icon when you want them gone.
How do I find out what apps are running in the background?
- Task Manager. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc. The Processes tab lists apps and background processes with their CPU, memory, disk and network use. Microsoft’s performance tips suggest right-clicking and closing the apps you are not using.
- The notification area. Expand the hidden icons arrow on the taskbar. Each icon is a program that is still running.
- Battery usage per app. On a laptop, Settings > System > Power & battery > Battery usage shows which apps used battery in the background.
If something is keeping your PC from sleeping rather than slowing it down, powercfg /requests names it; see what keeps Windows awake. If tray icons vanish after sleep, see why tray icons disappear after sleep.
How do I stop desktop programs starting with Windows?
Microsoft’s Configure Startup applications page gives three routes.
Settings (Windows 11): go to Start > Settings > Apps > Startup and set each app’s toggle to Off to stop it starting automatically when you sign in.
Task Manager: right-click Start, select Task Manager, open Startup apps, select the app and select Disable. Microsoft’s steps use the Windows 11 layout; in Windows 10, look for the Startup tab in Task Manager. Task Manager also shows the startup impact:
| Impact | Microsoft’s definition |
|---|---|
| Low | Total CPU under 300 ms and disk under 292 KB |
| Medium | CPU between 300 ms and 1 second, or disk between 292 KB and 3 MB |
| High | CPU over 1 second or disk over 3 MB |
| Not measured | No data yet, app enabled |
File Explorer: for apps that are not registered with a startup task, check shell:startup (your account) and shell:common startup (all users) in the Run box. Removing a shortcut from those folders stops that app starting at sign-in.
Is it good to turn off background apps?
Usually, for apps you do not need to hear from. Setting a Store app to Never can save battery and stops it receiving information while you are not using it. The trade-off is that it will not send notifications or update until you open it.
Power optimized is the sensible middle ground for most apps. Leave these running normally:
- Security software.
- Sync clients whose files you rely on.
- Messaging or email apps you want alerts from.
- Anything that handles backups.
On privacy, background permission is about when an app runs, not what it can access. Clipboard access, for example, has its own rules; see can apps read my clipboard?
Which background programs are using the network?
Turning off background permissions does not tell you which programs are talking to the internet or listening for connections. For that you need to look at ports and processes.
The built-in options are free:
- Task Manager: the Network column on the Processes tab shows current network use per app.
- Resource Monitor: its Network tab lists processes with connections and listening ports; see using Task Manager and Resource Monitor for port conflicts.
- netstat:
netstat -anolists every connection with the owning PID; see what process is using a port.
For a live table, the free edition of Port Detective tracks every active TCP and UDP connection on your PC, and you can type a port number to see the process name, PID and connection state, according to its Store listing. It does not stop or block apps from running in the background, and it does not change network settings. For a quick look, Task Manager and netstat -ano show the same raw data for free.
See which background program has each port open, updated live.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I find out what apps I have running in the background?
Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc and look at the Processes tab, check the notification area for tray icons, and on a laptop review Battery usage per app in Settings > System > Power & battery.
How can I find and close apps running in background?
In Task Manager’s Processes tab, right-click an app you are not using and close it. For tray apps, right-click the tray icon and quit from there so the app does not keep running.
Is it good to turn off background apps?
For Store apps you do not need notifications from, yes: it can save battery. Use Power optimized for apps you want to hear from, and leave security and sync software alone.
Which apps should be left running in the background?
Security software, backup and sync clients, and messaging apps whose alerts you rely on. Everything else can usually be set to Power optimized or Never.
Why does an app keep running after I turn it off?
Most often it is a desktop app, which ignores the background apps setting. Check its own settings for a “keep running” or “start with Windows” option, disable it under Startup apps, and quit it from the tray.
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Port Detective Free is in the Microsoft Store for live port and process lookup. Port Detective Pro, an optional one-time upgrade in the Microsoft Store, adds tools such as Port Guard alerts and deeper process details. More detail is on the Port Detective product page.
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Last updated 23 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.