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How to prevent Microsoft Edge from running in the background on Windows 11 and 10

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May 31, 2021
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How to prevent Microsoft Edge from running in the background on Windows 11 and 10​

By Mauro Huculak
published about 23 hours ago
Microsoft Edge may continue to run in the background after it's closed, but if you don't like this behavior, you can disable this feature, and here's how.
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Microsoft Edge disable background services

Microsoft Edge disable background services (Image credit: Future)

On Windows 11 (and 10), Microsoft Edge extensions and other services can keep the browser running in the background even after you close the application. Although this may not be an issue for most computers, it could be a problem for laptops and low-end devices as these background processes can increase battery consumption and memory usage.

If you use Microsoft Edge with several extensions or websites with the push notification option enabled, you can disable the feature to prevent the browser from staying active in the background after you close it to improve system performance on Windows 10 and 11.
This guide will walk you through the steps to prevent the Edge browser from running processes in the background after it's closed to save system resources and improve battery life on Windows 11 (or 10).

How to stop background processes after closing Microsoft Edge​

To stop Microsoft Edge from running in the background after it's closed, use these steps:
  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Click the Settings and more (three-dotted) button from the top-right.
  3. Select the Settings option.
  4. Click on System and performance.
  5. Turn off the "Continue running background apps when Microsoft Edge is closed" toggle switch.

Microsoft Edge disable background processes



(Image credit: Future)
Once you complete the steps, when closing the browser, extensions and other services will also be terminated, freeing up resources and improving battery life.

If you change your mind, you can always revert the changes using the same instructions, but in step 5, make sure to turn on the toggle switch for the feature.
 
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