[Archived] Did you know the Mail app keeps running unseen when you close it? Find out here how to disable the Mail app running in the background on Windows 10 and Windows 11, once and for all.
First, a Crowded Pan Is an Unhappy Place
What makes food fry crisp and dry and tasty; what keeps food from going stale and greasy and soggy is oil that is hot, very hot and sizzling.
So, keeping the oil hot is the key to frying, and putting cold food in works to defeat it.
This is why a crowded pan is an unhappy place. Frying in small batches avoids the crowded pan and makes for happy food and faces.
Have I sold you on de-crowding pans? Think a computer crowded with apps running in the background is an unhappy place as well (and keeps your laptop running hot…)? We can de-crowd here, too:
How to Disable the Mail App on Windows 10 and Windows 11
This is an archived article.
Windows 10
Time needed: 5 minutes
To prevent the Windows Mail app from running in the background on Windows 10 (even after you close it):
- Open the Start menu.
- Locate Mail and click on it with the right mouse button.
Where: You can find Mail under All apps.
- Select More | App settings from the context menu that has appeared.
Tip: If you searched for
mail, find App settings in the first-level context menu. - Turn Off the setting for Background apps under App permissions.
No notifications: This will prevent Mail from running in the background; that includes new mail notifications.
If you do not use the Mail app, you can also uninstall Windows Mail altogether, of course, from Windows 10.
Get rid of alerts only? How to Turn Off Mail Notifications on Windows 10
Also prevent Mail from opening? How to Set a (Different) Default Email Client on Windows
Windows 11
To disable the Mail app from running in the background on Windows 11:
- Select the Settings app in the Start menu.
Windows keyboard shortcut: You can press Windows I to open Settings. - Go to Apps.
- Select Installed apps.
- Click the three dots menu button for Mail and Calendar.
Search: You can use the Search apps field to find Mail and Calendar fast, of course. - Select Advanced options from the menu that has appeared.
- Now pick Never for Let this app run in background (under Background app permissions).
Change which apps open with Windows: How to Change Startup Programs on Windows
How to Disable the Mail App on Windows 10 and Windows 11: FAQ
Does Windows Mail run in the background if I close it?
Yes.
Unless you disable Background apps for Mail (or turn off background apps in Windows altogether), Windows 10 Mail continues to run even if you close it.
Will I still get new mail notifications if Mail is not running?
No.
If you have stopped Mail from running in the background, you will not receive new email notifications if Mail is closed.
Notifications still work if Mail is running or minimized.
(How to disable the Mail app running in the background tested with Windows 11 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H2; first published August 2020, last updated March 2024)