Are you tired of apps launching automatically every time you start Windows 11? Learn how to stop apps from launching at startup in Windows 11 in this post.
Typically, Windows 11 allows apps to launch automatically during startup. They can also run in the background to perform specific tasks and speed up the app startup process.
While this feature can be helpful for certain apps, you can end up with many apps and services running at startup which can delay the startup process and drain the battery.
So, if you are looking to disable Spotify, Xbox app, Microsoft Teams, or any other app from starting automatically, we have you covered! In this post, we share three ways including using the Settings app, Task Manager, and the Startup folder to manage apps at startup.
How to stop apps from launching at startup in windows 11?
- Using the Settings app
- Firstly, go to the “Settings”
- Next, click on “Apps” on the left-side
- Tap on the “Startup navigation” option
- Disable all the active apps by clicking the toggle switches next to them.
- Using Task Manager
To disable apps from launching automatically via task manager, follow these steps;
- Go to Start
- Find Task Manager and click the top most result to open the app. You also open the app by right-clicking the Start menu and then choosing the Task Manager option. You may also use the shortcut keys: Windows key + Shift + Esc

- Click on the Startup tab
- Select the app
- Tap on the “disable” button
Once you complete these steps, you can repeat them to disable other apps launching at startup.
- Using Startup folder
In some cases, apps can move to the Startup folder. The Startup folder is the one that Windows scans every time the computer starts and runs any app it finds. So, to disable startup apps on Windows 11 via the startup folder, follow these steps:
- Go to Start
- Find “Run” and click on the first result to open the app. You can also use the shortcut key Windows key + R to quickly open the “Run” command.
- Type “shell: startup” and click on the OK button
- Select the shortcut or the app
- Press the “Delete” button
After you complete the above-mentioned steps, all the deleted apps from the “Startup” folder will not open automatically as you sign in to your account.
While Windows 11 offers different ways to disable apps at startup, in some cases you may have to change the settings in the app.