How to view and manage background apps in Windows 11

Last update: 17/03/2025
Author Isaac
  • El Task Manager allows you to see what apps are active in the background.
  • From the Settings Windows 11 It is possible to restrict background execution permissions.
  • Resource Monitor and Command Prompt provide advanced methods for closing active processes.

View apps running in the background in Windows 11

Windows 11 is a powerful and efficient operating system, but poor management of background applications can negatively impact your computer's performance. Many applications continue running without your knowledge, consuming resources and battery power . Therefore, it's important to know how to view and manage these processes.

In this article, you'll learn how to identify which applications are running in the background on Windows 11 and how to manage or close them as needed . You'll also learn different methods for optimizing system resource usage.

How to view background apps in Windows 11

To find out which programs are running without your knowledge, Windows 11 offers several tools . The most efficient and accessible is the Task Manager.

  • Write "Task Manager" in the Windows 11 search bar.
  • Click on the option "Open".
  • Within the Task Manager, click on the three points in the upper right corner.
  • Select option "View" and then “Group by type”.
  • You will now see a list of background processes assets on your computer.

If Task Manager does not open or does not show all the information, try logging in with administrator privileges and repeat the steps.

Additionally, you can check out other resources in the system such as [the best benchmark applications for Android](https://mundobytes.com/best-android-benchmark-apps/) to ensure optimal performance of your device, which can also help you better understand how to manage the operating system.

How to prevent apps from running in the background

If you want to prevent certain programs from running without your permission and consuming resources, you can do so from the system settings :

  • Open the menu Home and access Configuration.
  • Go to the section Applications and enters Installed applications.
  • Find the app you want to restrict and click on the three points next to your name.
  • Choose Advanced.
  • In the option “Allow this app to run in the background”, choose Never to prevent it from continuing to operate without your permission.
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Task Manager in Windows 11

Knowing and changing these settings will help you see open background apps in Windows 11 and optimize your resource usage. You can also learn how to customize your wallpaper in Windows 11.mundobytes.com/how-to-customize-the-wallpaper-in-windows-11/) to make your experience more enjoyable while you work.

Other ways to close background apps

If you're looking for more advanced solutions to close background apps, you can use Resource Monitor or Command Prompt.

With the Resource Monitor

  • Press Windows + R, writes formally and press Enter.
  • In the General Information, select the active applications.
  • Right click on them and choose End process.

With the Command Prompt

  • Open the Start menu and type cmd.
  • Right click on the result and select Run as administrator.
  • Write taskkill /f /im app.exe (replacing 'app' with the name of the SCHEDULE that you want to close) and press Enter.

Managing background applications in Windows 11 is key to optimizing system performance. With this information, you can control which programs are consuming resources and close them if necessary to improve your computer's speed and save battery life.

If you want to learn more about setting up a live wallpaper or changing the visual appearance of your system, you can check out the guide on how to [set up a live wallpaper for my lock screen Windows 10](https://mundobytes.com/how-do-i-set-a-live-wallpaper-for-my-windows-10-lock-screen/).

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