Prevent Microsoft Teams from starting automatically on Windows

Microsoft Teams is useful—but not everyone wants it booting up every time they start their computer. If you’re tired of waiting for Teams to load or just want to streamline your startup, here’s how to stop it from launching automatically in Windows.

Why Does Teams Start on Its Own?

By default, Microsoft Teams is set to start automatically when you log in to Windows. This behavior can slow down your boot time and clutter your desktop before you’re even ready.

Here’s How to Disable Teams on Startup

You have a few options depending on how you prefer to manage your system settings:

Option 1: Turn Off Auto-Start from Teams Settings

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
3. Go to Settings.
4. Under the General tab, uncheck the box that says “Auto-start Teams”.

Done. Teams will no longer launch when you start your PC.

Option 2: Use Windows Task Manager

1. Right-click on the taskbar and choose Task Manager, or press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Go to the Startup tab.
3. Find Microsoft Teams in the list.
4. Right-click it and select Disable.

This method stops it without opening Teams at all.

Option 3: Use Windows Settings

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Apps > Startup.
3. Find Microsoft Teams and toggle it off.

Simple and works the same way as Task Manager, but through the standard Windows interface.

Extra Tip: Uninstall Teams Completely (If You Don’t Use It)

If you never use Teams, you might as well uninstall it:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps (or Apps & features, depending on your Windows version).
2. Search for Microsoft Teams.
3. Click the three-dot menu or select it and choose Uninstall.

You might also see “Teams Machine-Wide Installer”—you’ll want to uninstall that too to prevent it from reinstalling Teams on its own.

Final Thought

Auto-start programs can be useful, but they also slow things down if you don’t need them. Stopping Microsoft Teams from launching on startup is quick and reversible, so don’t hesitate to tweak it to suit your workflow.

Got any other startup apps slowing down your PC? Let me know in the comments and I’ll help you shut them down.

Mark Vincent

Tech enthusiast and content creator passionate about making technology simple for everyone. I share practical tips, guides, and reviews on the latest in computers, software, and gadgets. Let’s explore the digital world together!