How to Keep Microsoft Teams Running in the Taskbar

This article explains how to turn on or off an option in Microsoft Teams that allows the app to keep running while minimized on the Taskbar when closed.

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration platform developed by Microsoft that integrates chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.

The free version is installed on Windows with its icon on the Taskbar.

There are many settings one can enable in the Microsoft Teams app. You can turn on or off suggested replies in chat, enable or disable sound notifications, enable or disable notifications for incoming calls and meetings, enable or disable notifications during calls and meetings, enable or disable chat message notifications, turn @mentions notifications banners on or off, turn notifications for likes and reactions on or off, turn meeting start notifications on or off, mute or unmute meeting chat notifications, and more.

A new feature recently added to Teams is the ability to keep the app running and minimized on the Taskbar when closed. You can turn this on or off using the app’s settings.

There are a few reasons why you might want to keep Microsoft Teams running and minimized on the Taskbar even when you close it. Firstly, it allows you to quickly access the app without waiting for it to load every time you want to use it.

Secondly, it ensures you don’t miss any important notifications or messages away from your computer. Finally, it can be helpful if you need to join a meeting or call quickly, as you can do so without opening the app from scratch.

Turn “On close, keep the applications running and minimize it to the taskbar” on or off in Teams

As mentioned, users can turn on or off a feature that allows Teams to keep running while minimized on the taskbar when you close it.

Here’s how to do it.

First, launch the app by clicking the Start menu and selecting it on the All Apps list.

You can also launch the app from the Taskbar or Taskbar overflow.

When you first launch the Teams app, the mini window will open. Click the expansion button on the menu bar to open the full Teams window.

In the full Teams window, click the Settings and more ( …) button next to your profile picture and select Settings from the menu.

Next, select the General tab on the left of the Settings page. Then, under ‘System,’ check the box next to “On close, keep the application running and minimize it to the taskbar” to enable it.

To disable it, uncheck the box.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Enabling this feature allows quick access to the Teams app without reloading
• Helps in ensuring essential notifications and messages are not missed when away from the computer
• Convenient for swiftly joining meetings or calls without reopening the app from scratch