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To ensure the app doesn’t run in the background, select “ Never” from the menu. It will turn off apps when you enable power-saving mode, for example. Scroll down to the “ Background Apps Permissions” section next, then press the dropdown menu under “ Let this app run in the background.”įrom here, you can configure how Windows will allow apps like these to use your connection in the background-Windows sets the apps to “ Power Optimized” by default. Next, click the Options button (three dots) and then click Advanced Options in the drop-down menu that appears. In the Apps & features menu, scroll through the list of apps and locate the app you want to stop running in the background. To turn background apps off in Windows 11, open Start > Settings (Windows key + I) and then click on Apps > Apps & Features. Unfortunately, disabling them isn’t as easy as it is in Windows 10. This means that apps like OneDrive, Mail, Facebook, News, and others are free to suck up your data while running in the background. These apps are free to sync data, send notifications, and more. By default, Windows allows every Microsoft Store app to run in the background. You can also stop certain background apps from working in the Settings menu. Stopping apps from running during startup will help save data without thinking about it, particularly for apps that run in the background. For example, if you have Facebook or OneDrive (more on that below) set to run on startup, these apps will be sucking up data and bandwidth. For example, OneDrive syncing may stop working if you’re using a metered connection on Windows 11.ĭisabling startup apps will improve boot time, but it can also help improve data usage. Keep in mind that certain apps and services may not work as expected if they’re receiving less data on a metered connection. A metered connection limits the data that Windows uses in the background, while also enabling a set limit on the data your PC can use over a certain time period.Įthernet and Wi-Fi connections need to be manually set to metered, but cellular data connections are set as metered by default. One of the simplest methods to cut down on Windows 11’s data use is to set your network as a metered connection. Set Your Windows 11 PC to a Metered Connection To avoid this, you can limit your data usage on Windows 11-here’s how.
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If you reach (or breach) your data cap, you could end up paying out in extra charges or see your internet speeds throttled as a consequence.
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If you’re on a limited data plan, however, this can cost you money.
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