How to Permanently Stop Google Chrome From Running in the Background

How do I stop Chrome from running in the background?

Method 1: Using Google Chrome Settings

Step 1: You have to open Google Chrome and then click on top right corner (3 vertical dots) or press ALT + E.

Step 2: Next, click on Settings. It will open Chrome Settings page.

Step 3: Now, you need to scroll down to the bottom and then click on “Advanced“.

Step 4: Again, you have to scroll down to the “System” section and then toggle off “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed“. That’s it.

Step 5: You need to restart the Chrome to see the changes.

Method 2: Using Taskbar

Step 1: Go to Taskbar and then click on System Tray. It will show few Shortcuts icons. Look for Google Chrome icon.

Step 2: Now, right click on Google Chrome icon and move your cursor to “Let Google Chrome run in the background“, click to uncheck it.

Step 3: It will stop immediately the background process. You can cross check on Taskbar whether it has stopped immediately.

What if you have changed your mind and like to run Chrome in the background.

For this, follow the method 1 and in step 4 toggle ON “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed“. That’s it. It will start immediately.

Should you let Chrome run in the background?

Normally, it will be helpful to have Chrome running in the background. It will update the apps when it is necessary.

If you are processing something in the browser, it won’t stop immediately when you close the browser.

Some apps keeps you updated with their notification which would be useful like email notification, Facebook notification and any Chat notification.

This new feature helps you to quickly start your Chrome browser.

What are background apps in Google Chrome?

You will find Google Chrome with lots of apps and extension. Some of these apps use background pages to work without the user knowledge.

These apps keeps running in the background when you have closed the Chrome browser. These apps send you alerts and notification when needed.

Hope, these tips has helped you to stop Chrome from running in the background. It will help you in saving Memory and CPU usage.

Video

Stop Chrome from running in the background at PC startup

In Windows, you can use the System Configuration menu to manage startup apps and disable Chrome from starting up with PC. Here’s how:

Press Windows+R keys on the keyboard to open “Run” dialog and type “msconfig” here to open System Configuration.

Now move to the “Startup” section and uncheck the checkbox next to Google Chrome. You can press “OK” to apply the changes.

This will stop Chrome from running in the background on future startups of Windows.

The above instructions work on all versions of Windows. Although, in Windows 10 you can also access startup apps from the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

Why does Chrome continue to run in the background after being closed?

Chrome continues to run in the background of your computer due to various reasons. One of the reasons is that Google wants Chrome to remain running in the background because it becomes fast and easy to relaunch Chrome at a later date. Since the application is already running in the background, it will load fast from your cache. 

Another reason for Chrome running in the background even after being closed is mostly because of the third-party add-ons and extensions you add to your Chrome browser. Many of these extensions, like VPNs, password managers, etc., require Chrome to run in the background after being closed. 

Related: Best Chrome VPN Browser Extensions You Can Use On Your Browser

You might notice Chrome running in the background mostly after you have updated Chrome to a new version or after buying a new device and installing Chrome on it. So, does Chrome running in the background of your computer have any effect on your device? Let us find out. 

Disable Apps from Running in the Background

You can stop Chrome from running in the background from the Chrome settings. Below are step-by-step instructions.

1. Click on Chrome’s main menu and select “Settings.”

2. Scroll down and click on “Show advanced settings.”

3. Scroll down to the extreme bottom and uncheck the option “Continue running background apps when Google Chrome is closed” under the “System” heading.

This will stop Chrome from running any apps in the background and will exit properly when you click on the close button. At any time later if you want to receive notifications, just go to “Settings” again and enable this feature.

Conclusion

Now that you have a pretty good idea of why and how to stop Chrome from running in the background of your computer after it gets closed, you should try and do so as soon as possible. And if you have any queries, comments, or suggestions regarding this article, then do not forget to mention them in the comment section down below. 

Read more: Delete Your Chrome BookmarksTake Screenshots On Your Chrome And Firefox Incognito Modes On Android

Tags