How to make Teams go away in Windows 11

When you install Windows 11, you'll probably see a new icon on your taskbar — or, at least, it will be new if you haven't used Microsoft's Teams collaboration app lately . If you hover your cursor over the icon, which looks like a camera inside a cartoon speech bubble, it will say "Chat". Click on it and you will be prompted to "Meet and chat with friends and family" using Microsoft Teams.

SummaryPreventing Teams from loading on startupRemoving Teams from your taskbarUninstalling TeamsUsing the Start menuUsing Settings

If you already use Teams or are ok to switch to it, that's fine good. After that, when you click the Chat icon, you will be able to chat with your friends, family and colleagues using a pop-up window.

What if you're not interested in using Microsoft Teams?

There are several things you can do if you find the push to Teams irritating. You can prevent Teams from automatically loading each time you start your computer. You can remove the Chat icon from the taskbar. And, if you really want to go all out, you can uninstall it.

Let's take these one at a time.

Prevent Teams from loading at startup

It's very simple to simply prevent Teams – or any other app you don't need – from loading when your machine starts. Not only does this make your machine boot up faster, but it also reserves your PC's memory for things you really want to use.

• Open the Settings app. There are several methods:you can click on your Start icon and select Settings from the pinned menu; or right-click the Start icon and select Settings; or type "Windows + i" on the keyboard.
• Select Applications> Startup
• Scroll down to "Microsoft Teams" and turn it off. (The app may say "Microsoft Teams (Preview)" instead.)

By the way, while you're in the Start menu, take a look at some of the other apps that start automatically with your computer; there may be others you want to disable (eg, what if you don't necessarily want to run OneDrive?). Go ahead and do it.

Remove teams from your taskbar

Even if you stop Teams loading, you will still have the Teams Chat icon in your taskbar. If you don't intend to use it and want to save your taskbar for other apps, deleting it is simple, although it's not quite the same process as most. other apps pinned there.

• Right-click on the taskbar, then click "Taskbar Settings"
• Under taskbar items, disable "Chat"

Uninstall teams

If you really, really don't want Teams, you can uninstall it. There are actually two ways to do this:

Using the start menu

• Click the Start menu icon on the taskbar, then click the "All apps" button
• Scroll down to the Microsoft Teams app or type "Teams" in the search box. (The app may say "Microsoft Teams (Preview)" instead.)
• Right click on the app and choose "Uninstall". You will be told that the app will be uninstalled, so click "Uninstall" again.

Use of parameters

• Open the Settings app (see above for different ways to do this)
• Select Applications from the left menu
• Select "Apps &Features"
• Search for the Microsoft Teams app, either by scrolling down or typing "Teams" in the search field. (It may say "Microsoft Teams (Preview).")
• Click the three dots to the right of the app name and select "Uninstall". You will be told that the app will be uninstalled, so click "Uninstall" again.

That's it!