Microsoft may come up with an option to remove the Teams chat app from Windows

Microsoft may give users the option to completely remove the Teams chat feature from their computers. Currently it is only possible to hide this application, which is attached to the taskbar by default.

WindowsLatest discovered some recent Windows 11 preview builds reference a hidden feature called ‘RemoveChat’. If triggered, the entire Chat app and its mention will be deleted from the operating system, the site writes.

According to WindowsLatest, the feature is linked to a new geographic API, which means Microsoft may only offer the option in certain regions. The site expects that the option to remove the chat function will only be available to European users. It is suspected that Microsoft is introducing this feature ‘to avoid a possible antitrust investigation by EU regulators’. The Financial Times previously wrote that Microsoft will stop bundling Teams with Office products due to an investigation by the European Commission.

The Microsoft Teams chat feature was introduced in 2021 and has been attached to the taskbar by default ever since. It is possible to disable the app via the settings and thus remove it from the taskbar, but users cannot yet completely uninstall the application.

Teams Chat in Windows 11