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Use an Intune Windows device configuration policy to set the default background-activity behavior for covered apps, then add per-app exceptions where needed. You can leave users in control, force background activity on, or force it off. These controls apply to Windows app background activity—not every Win32 process, service, or scheduled task.
What Intune’s background-app setting controls
Microsoft describes the enterprise controls as managing background activity battery settings for UWP apps. The Windows Privacy Policy CSP states that the policy specifies whether Windows apps can run in the background. It should not be treated as a general tool for stopping all software that runs outside the foreground.
Microsoft documents this as a device-scoped policy. You can apply a default behavior across covered apps and configure per-app privacy exceptions. A per-app setting takes precedence over the default. Microsoft Privacy Policy CSP
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Microsoft’s Intune device restrictions reference includes a Background apps setting and per-app privacy exceptions, and directs administrators to the Settings catalog when creating a device configuration policy. The exact catalog presentation can change, so search the current catalog for “Background apps” rather than relying on a fixed click-by-click path. Intune device restriction settings for Windows
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In the Intune admin center, create a Windows device configuration policy and use the Settings catalog to find the Background apps setting.
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Set the default behavior for covered apps: leave the choice to users, force background activity on, or force it off.
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Where the policy offers per-app privacy exceptions, add the app’s package family name and select the required behavior. Per-app behavior overrides the default.
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Assign the policy to an appropriate device group. Pilot it with representative users and verify the app workflows that depend on background activity before broad deployment.
Choose a default and per-app behavior
The CSP defines these values for the policy:
|
Value |
Behavior |
Effect on the user |
|---|---|---|
|
0 |
Default |
Users remain in control through Windows Settings. |
|
1 |
Force Allow |
Background activity is allowed, and users cannot change the setting. |
|
2 |
Force Deny |
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Use the default when user choice is appropriate. Force Allow or Force Deny enforces the behavior. If only some apps need different treatment, set the broad default and then define exceptions for those apps. The numeric meanings and override behavior are documented in Microsoft’s Privacy Policy CSP.
Find the correct app package family name
Per-app exceptions use a Package Family Name (PFN), not merely the display name users see in the Start menu. Microsoft says you can obtain the PFN with the Windows PowerShell Get-AppPackage cmdlet. Intune’s reference describes its Package Name field as the app package family name and also lists an App Name field for exceptions.
Confirm the package identity on a representative device before assigning an exception. A mistaken package name can leave the intended app governed only by the default.
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Check app impact before forcing denial
Background activity may support app functions that users expect even when an app is not open. Microsoft warns that communication apps can rely on background processes for tiles and notifications; disabling that activity may prevent text, email, or voicemail notifications and disrupt background email synchronization. Microsoft Privacy Policy CSP
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Check whether critical communication apps need timely notifications.
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Verify background mail or other synchronization that users rely on.
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Test app-specific background features with the policy applied to a pilot group.
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Microsoft cautions that Search and Cortana might not work as expected under Force Deny. Microsoft enterprise background activity controls
Account for policy timing
If an app is open when the policy change is applied, Microsoft says the app or device must be restarted for that app’s change to take effect. Include a restart or app-relaunch check in rollout validation. Microsoft Privacy Policy CSP
When this is not the right control
Use this policy for the Windows app background activity covered by the privacy policy—not as a substitute for controls designed to manage Win32 applications, Windows services, or scheduled tasks. Microsoft’s enterprise guidance describes these controls in terms of UWP app background activity and battery settings. Microsoft enterprise background activity controls
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