With the introduction of Microsoft Teams, Microsoft created the Chat button on the taskbar to make accessing the app quick and easy.
However, while it may be great for people who use Microsoft Teams, it’s a burden for users who don’t. If you want to remove the chat button from your Windows 11 PC, then read on.
We’ll cover every way to remove the chat button from the Windows 11 taskbar.
Removing the Chat Button Through Settings
The quickest way to remove the chat button from the taskbar is to remove it through the Settings app. To do this is, simply right-click on the taskbar and click Taskbar settings.
Once you’re at the Taskbar settings page, look for the Taskbar items menu. Under this menu, find the Chat button, click the switch to toggle it from On to Off, and you’ve successfully removed the chat button from the taskbar.
Removing the Chat Button Through the Registry Editor
If you want to remove the chat button from the taskbar through the Registry Editor, you can do that as well. To start, open up a Run box (Windows key + R), type regedit, and press Enter.
Once the Registry Editor is open, go to the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Find the TaskbarMn key on the right, and double-click it to edit it.
Inside the Edit Value window, you’ll want to change the value from 1 to 0 to disable the chat button. Once you’ve finished changing the value, click OK to apply the change.
Removing the Chat Button for ALL Users
If you want to remove the chat button from the Windows 11 taskbar for all users, there are a couple ways to do it in one fell swoop.
Removing the Chat Button for All Users Through the Registry Editor
In order to remove the chat button for all users, you’ll need to poke around in the Registry Editor. To do so, open a Run box (Windows key + R), type in regedit, and then press Enter.
In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path by pasting the path in the address bar:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
Right-click on the Windows folder on the left side, mouse over New, and click on Key and name the new key Windows Chat.
With the Windows Chat key selected, right-click an empty area on the right side of the Registry Editor. Mouse over New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it ChatIcon.
Once you’ve created the new key, double-click on ChatIcon to edit it. You’ll need to change the value to 3, and make sure the Base is Hexadecimal, then click on OK.
Once you’re finished, restart your computer, and you’re done! Now the chat button won’t show up on the taskbar for any user, including new user accounts created after the fix.
Removing the Chat Button for All Users Through the Local Group Policy Editor
Using the Local Group Policy Editor is another way to disable the chat button on the taskbar for all users. However, keep in mind that this won’t work on Windows 11 Home, as the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
To start, first open a Run box (Windows key + R), type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
In the Local Group Policy Editor, you’ll need to navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Chat
Once you’ve found the above location, you’ll see a setting on the right-hand side, titled Configures the Chat icon on the taskbar. Double-click this setting to open it.
On the setting configuration window, select the Disabled button in the top-left corner. Then click Apply and OK.
To put the setting into effect, simply restart your computer. Just like the registry method above, this will disable the chat button on the taskbar for all users, including future user accounts.
