How to remove Skype from Windows 10 System Tray

Very soon, the use of the old desktop Skype app will end as it is steadily and silently getting replaced with the in-built Store version of Skype for all Windows 10 users.

For some who have already started using the new Skype, trying to remove the icon from the system tray has become troublesome. Removing the icon has been a tough job for amateur computer users as there is no “Quit” option when you right-click on the new built-in version of Skype.

If the icon has disturbed and distracted you for a long time, that will be a thing of the past. Below are methods on how you can hide the icon.

Removing the Skype icon for the newly built-in store version

Method 1

Simply follow the procedure outlined below.

• On the system tray, right-click on the Skype icon and select the “Settings” option by clicking on it.
• Upon selecting the “Settings” option, a “General” tab will be displayed; select that tab too.
• Under the “General” tab, browse to an option labeled; “Show Skype in the Windows notification area” and click on the box to uncheck this option.
• Once the above steps are completed, the icon will be successfully hidden from the system tray.

Method 2

Perform the following steps in the given sequence.

• Launch the Skype application with a double-click execution.
• On the left side of the screen, where there is the user name and profile picture, locate the button annotated as simply “…” which is a menu button, click on it, and go to Settings.
• Click on the “Settings” button and select the “General” option, which will open up a Skype configuration section.
• In this section, click on the option labeled “Show Skype in the Windows notification area” to disable this option, which is enabled by default.

After executing the above steps, the icon will disappear from the system tray regardless of which method was used.

What to expect after removing the Skype icon from the System tray?

Even after hiding the icon from the system tray, you will still receive notifications and messages from your contacts unless you sign out of your account.

To sign out:

• Open the Skype app by double-clicking on the app icon.
• Navigate to the three-dotted menu and click on it.
• A menu will pop up, and from the available options, select “Sign Out” and confirm.
• After signing out, you won’t receive any more messages or notifications.

If you want to enable the Skype icon on the System tray again, follow the steps in method 2 of Removing the Skype icon for the new built-in Store version. This time around, the option labeled “Show Skype in the Windows notification area” will be unchecked (that is, it won’t have a tick). Navigate to that section and select it.

Be careful not to be confused if you have both – the old and new Skype versions installed on your computer. If you want to remove one and remain with the other, type Skype on the search bar and both versions will be displayed. The one labeled “desktop app” is the old one which does not have any troubles. The one shown as “Trusted Microsoft Store app” is the new one that does not have the quit option and comes as part of the updated Windows 10 operating system. Choose the one you want to remove, right-click on it, and select uninstall.

It is astonishing that only after you sign out on the new built-in Store version are you able to see the quit option. Hopefully, a new update will be released soon with the appropriate fixes.