Windows 11 comes with a built-in chat feature based on Microsoft Teams. It’s not my style to basically trash new things, but it’s undeniable that the vast majority of people have other preferences and the chat feature in Windows 11 doesn’t offer any added value, at least for now, which is why many users would like to get rid of it.
This is done in a few simple steps.
Step 1: Remove the chat icon from the system tray
The first step is to remove the icon from the Windows 11 taskbar. The icon itself does not offer a corresponding option when you right-click on it. Therefore, one makes a right-click on a free area of the taskbar and selects the option “Taskbar settings”. Here is a page that can also be accessed via Personalization / Taskbar in the PC settings.
Step 2: Remove teams from the autostart
The icon is gone now, but Microsoft Teams is still active. The App automatically loaded every time Windows 11 is started. This can be changed in two ways.
Version 1: Open Teams, click on the three small dots in the title bar and then on “Settings” to remove the check mark in front of “Start teams automatically” under “General”.
Version 2: You open the PC settings, click on “Apps” and then on “Autostart”, search for teams and deactivate the corresponding entry.
(Note: If you have also installed the business version of Teams, then the one with the smaller icon and the blue T in front of a white background must be selected).
Which of the two paths you choose does not matter, the result is identical in both cases.
Step 3 (optional): Uninstall Teams
If you are quite sure that you do not want to use Teams under Windows 11 for private communication, you can also uninstall the program. In the PC settings under Apps / Apps & Features you can locate the corresponding entry and start the uninstallation.
If you change your mind at some point later, the procedure can be easily reversed. Simply switch on the icon in the taskbar again as in step 1. As soon as you click on it, Teams will be automatically reinstalled.
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