How to Add or Remove Teams Taskbar Icon in Windows 11
The Microsoft Teams taskbar icon sits on the Windows 11 taskbar to give you quick access to chats and calls. You can hide this icon to clear up space or stop Teams from opening automatically every time you start your PC.
To manage the Microsoft Teams icon on your Windows 11 taskbar, you can close the application to temporarily hide it. For permanent control, go to Settings Personalization Taskbar Taskbar corner overflow and toggle the switch for Microsoft Teams. You can also prevent it from starting automatically via Settings Apps Startup
Step 1Close Microsoft Teams to Temporarily Hide the Icon
Completely close the Microsoft Teams app from your system tray to temporarily remove the icon. Right-click the Teams icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen near the clock and select Quit or Close. This hides the icon right away until you open the program again.
- Find the Microsoft Teams icon on your taskbar . It’s usually in the bottom-right corner, near the clock and other small icons. It looks like a purple square with a white “T” inside.
- Right-click on the Microsoft Teams icon.
- In the menu that appears, choose Quit.
Step 2Control the Microsoft Teams Icon in Taskbar Settings
Manage the Teams icon through the Windows 11 Personalization settings menu. By opening Settings and navigating to the Taskbar section, you can turn off system tray icons and manage which app shortcuts stay visible on your taskbar.
Open Windows Settings . Press Win+I.
In the Settings window, click on Personalization in the left-hand menu.
On the right side of the Personalization screen, locate the Taskbar option and click it.
Scroll down to Taskbar corner overflow (labeled as Other system tray icons in some updates). Click on it to see the options.
Each app has a switch next to it. To hide the Microsoft Teams icon from the taskbar corner, turn the Microsoft Teams switch Off. To make the Microsoft Teams icon visible, ensure the Microsoft Teams switch is On.
The Settings window can now be closed. Your changes will take effect immediately.
Step 3Stop Microsoft Teams from Starting Automatically with Windows
Disable the app in your Startup settings to stop Teams from opening when you turn on your PC. You can do this by opening Settings, going to the Apps menu, selecting Startup, and turning off the switch next to Microsoft Teams so it stays closed until you need it.
Again, open Windows Settings by pressing Windows key + I.
In the Settings menu, click on Apps on the left side.
On the right side of the Apps screen, click on Startup.
Locate the Microsoft Teams application by looking through the list of running programs. This switch controls whether the app runs in the background.
To stop Teams from starting automatically, turn the switch Off for Microsoft Teams. If you want it to start with Windows, turn it back On.
Teams will no longer open automatically after your next computer restart. The Microsoft Teams icon will remain hidden from the taskbar corner until you manually open the Teams application.
Disabling Microsoft Teams from starting automatically means you must open Teams manually from the Start Menu or by searching for it each time you want to use the Teams application. Disabling Teams startup helps your computer start up faster and reduces the number of programs running in the background.
Summary
Managing the Microsoft Teams icon on your Windows 11 taskbar involves closing the app to hide it temporarily, adjusting taskbar settings for persistent control, or disabling its automatic startup with Windows.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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