How to Remove MS Teams Chat from Windows 11 [Stop Automatic opening]

Currently, there are many apps over the Internet which allow users to audio/video chat with their friends, family, colleagues, or anyone. Believe it or not, these apps are of utmost importance to us and probably no one is willing to live or work without them. When was the last time when you did not use any social media or chatting app to talk to someone for a whole day?  Can’t remember? This shows the significance that these apps hold in our lives. 

But using these apps, however useful they are, you also have to face one problem or another. From the risk of data theft and privacy breach to getting addicted to these social media apps, there are more problems than anticipated. So, which chatting apps do you use on your Windows 11 computer? 

Why Uninstall Teams App?

It’s a pretty good app that is designed by Microsoft itself and comes pre-installed on your Windows 11 computer. It lets you chat and audio/video call anyone who uses the same application on their device. It is a great way of connecting to people for free with a simple and easy-to-use interface. But the problem is, many users prefer using different apps for chatting and calling purposes and it is not necessary for everyone to use the Teams app, right?

Why Stoping MS Teams from Opening Automatically?

As we all know how Microsoft has been pushing its own apps over others after the rollout of Windows 11, it is really frustrating to have such apps on our system when we do not even use them. That’s the same case with many users regarding the Teams app. When they boot up their Windows 11 device, the Teams app starts automatically and the users have to close it manually. It also slows down the booting process and for someone who does not even use it, the Teams app’s icon is a nuisance too. The app itself is not bad at all but it’s just an annoyance that Windows is forcing the users to either use the app, go with the flow while ignoring the auto running of the app, or just disable and even uninstall it. 

So to solve this particular problem, there are 3 things that can be done: 

1. If you don’t have any concern about the app itself or the fact that if starts automatically and just want it to disappear from your device’s taskbar, it would be easy. Just remember that it will not have any functional advantage and the app will continue to start automatically when your device boots up. 
2. You can stop the app from starting on its own without uninstalling it completely and this would help boosting the speed of booting process. 
3. Uninstalling the app itself and…well you know what happens when you uninstall an app. It won’t trouble you anymore but, if you prefer using the Teams app, uninstalling it may not be a good choice because then you will not be able to use the app again. 

So based on your complaint and requirement, you can continue reading ahead and find the perfect way to eliminate any problems for your Windows 11 device. For all the solutions mentioned earlier, we have prepared a perfect step-by-step guide to help you out. Follow these steps and you are done for…okay, that’s wrong but you get what I mean, right?

Hiding the Teams Chat app icon in Taskbar

You can hide the Teams/Chat app icon from the taskbar very easily by just following these steps: 

1. From your device’s taskbar, right-click on the app’s icon which should be hidden. In this case, it is the Teams/Chat app icon.
2. Click on the option that says ‘Hide from Taskbar’ after you right-click on the app’s icon.
   
   

The app’s icon is now hidden but, the app is still present on your computer. This was too much easy, right? You can follow these steps to get the Teams/Chat app’s icon back to the taskbar of your Windows 11 device: 

1. Right-click on the empty space on your computer’s taskbar. It can be anywhere on the taskbar, no particular place required.
2. Now, click on the ‘Taskbar settings’ option that appears right after you right clicked on the taskbar.
3. You will be directed to the Personalization settings menu of the taskbar. Locate and turn on the toggle for the ‘Chat’ app. You might also remember the icon for doing so. 

Once the toggle is turned on, the app’s icon will return to the taskbar. 

Disabling Teams starting automatically

This is probably the most-searched-for solution and it makes sense to just stop the Teams app from starting on its own because then, it will not hinder your computer’s booting speed. For achieving it, follow the instructions given below:

1. Click on the Start icon, search for the Settings App and open it. You can also press the shortcut keys Windows + I for the same and you can even right-click on the Start icon and then select ‘Settings’ from the various options provided. So many ways to open a single app.
2. Locate and choose the ‘Apps’ option from the left sidebar on your Windows 11 computer’s screen.
3. Select ‘Startup’ option from the right pane.
4. Now, scroll down till you see ‘Microsoft Teams’ and click on the toggle bar to turn it off.

Hence, the Microsoft Teams app won’t load automatically on the startup. Another piece of advice, when you are in the ‘Startup’ menu, you can select which apps should be started automatically and which apps should not. So, you can click on the toggle bars for other apps too or if you want to know anything further, please refer to our previous article on how to add/remove apps from startup.

How to Uninstall the Teams app in Windows 11?

You can simply uninstall the Microsoft Teams app if you do not use it and want to free up some space too. Here, these steps will help you to do the same:

1. Click on the Start icon in the taskbar.
2. Search for the All Apps option and click on it.
3. Now search for Microsoft Teams app by either scrolling down or typing ‘Teams’ in the search box.
4. Right click on the app.
5. Select ‘Uninstall’ from all of the options available.

Then, you will be asked if you want to continue. Probably you know what to do after that and yeah, the app will then get uninstalled.  Another way to delete the Microsoft Teams app from your Windows 11 computer consists of these steps:

1. Open the ‘Settings’ App, you can refer to the first step in the second method to see how.
2. Locate and select the ‘Apps’ option from the left sidebar.
3. Click on ‘Apps & Features’.
4. Navigate yourself to the ‘Microsoft Teams app’ by either scrolling down or searching for it in the search box.
5. Click on the three dots next to the app’s tile.
6. Click on ‘Uninstall’ from the list of the options displayed in the pop-up window.

And, you are all done! This concludes all the methods to remove the Microsoft Teams app’s icon from the taskbar, disabling the App from the start-up, and even uninstalling it. Though we will recommend not to uninstall the app since it is actually a pretty helpful app and you might end up liking it too. 

So, follow the above-mentioned steps to the solution that you seek and if you have any trouble while undergoing the process, feel free to ask us for help.