Windows 11 taskbar includes a Chat icon by default. Clicking on the Chat icon brings up the Chat flyout, which shows your recent individual and group conversations. The Chat is powered by Microsoft Teams and is free!
If you are a Microsoft Teams user, you might find the new Chat convenient as you can quickly start and view conversations with your friends and family. In addition to clicking on the Chat icon, one can always bring up the Chat flyout using the Windows + C hotkey.
However, if you use something else to connect with your family and friends, you might want to get rid of the Chat icon to free up the space and reduce the clutter.
Removing the Chat icon from the taskbar is, although easy, it’s not straightforward. In the early builds of Windows 11, we could right-click on the Chat icon on the taskbar and then click the Hide from taskbar option.
The option no longer shows up when you perform a right-click on the Chat icon. In fact, this applies to other default icons such as search, task view, and Widgets.
That said, the Chat icon can be removed from the taskbar via the Settings app. In addition to removing the Chat app, you can also completely uninstall the Microsoft Teams app via the Settings app. You do not need to fire up PowerShell for the job. Here is how to do that.
Remove the Chat icon from Windows 11 taskbar
Step 1: Open the Settings app. On the left side of the Settings window, click Personalization. On the right side, click Taskbar.
Step 2: Now, on the right side, in the Taskbar items section, turn off the Chat option to remove the Chat icon from Windows 11 taskbar immediately.
Now that you have removed the Chat icon from the taskbar, it’s time to uninstall Microsoft Teams.
Remove Microsoft Teams from Windows 11 startup
By default, Microsoft Teams loads with Windows 11. If you are not using it, you can remove it from the startup to improve the boot time. Note that you can skip this if you are uninstalling Microsoft Teams.
Step 1: Navigate to Settings > Apps > Startup page.
Step 2: In the Startup apps list, turn off the Microsoft Teams option to prevent it from loading with Windows 11.
Uninstall Microsoft Teams from Windows 11
Method 1 of 2
Uninstall Microsoft Teams via Settings
Step 1: Open the Settings app either using Start search or Windows + I hotkey.
Step 2: On the left pane of Settings, click Apps. On the right side, click Apps & features to view all installed apps.
Step 3: Scroll down the installed apps list to find the Microsoft Teams entry. Click on the three vertical dots (refer to the picture below) next to its entry and click the Uninstall option.
Step 4: Click the Uninstall button when you see the following confirmation to uninstall and remove Microsoft Teams from Windows 11.
Note that the Chat icon will continue to appear in the Settings > Personalization > Taskbar page even after uninstalling the Microsoft Teams app. As of now, there is no way to remove it from the Settings page.
Method 2 of 2
Uninstall Microsoft Teams via Start menu
Step 1: In the Start menu search, type Microsoft Teams to see its entry.
Step 2: On the right side, click on the Uninstall option (refer to the picture below) to remove Teams from your PC.
Our how-to add the search icon back to Windows 11 taskbar guide might also interest you.
