What is Meet Now in Windows 10 and how to uninstall it

Martin Brinkmann
Nov 28, 2020
Updated • Nov 17, 2021
Tutorials, Windows, Windows 10
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148

If you are running a recent version of Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system, you may have noticed the new Meet Now taskbar icon that the company added in October 2020. Microsoft plans to introduce the icon to all Windows 10 users in the future, and many may wonder what the button does, why it is there, and how to remove it.

What is Meet Now?

To answer the first question: Meet Now is a feature of the communication software Skype. Microsoft introduced Meet Now in Skype earlier this year as a way to set up a video conference with just a few clicks.

While it is necessary to start a conference from within Skype or Skype on the Web, participants who join it don't need an account or Skype installed to join. The conference creator gets invite links that may be shared with others using built-in tools or through other means, e.g. by copying the link and pasting it into a messenger app or on social media.

If Skype is available on the system, it is started and the participant joins the room right away. If it is not installed, the web version of Skype is loaded instead and the room is joined in the browser. Both don't require a Skype account, and the Web version even supports only listening to the audio (without providing an audio or video feed from the local system).

You can find out more about Meet Now on Microsoft's Skype website.

Why is there a Meet Now icon on the Windows 10 taskbar?

meet now windows 10

Microsoft added the Meet Now icon to the Windows 10 taskbar. Microsoft added the button to make it easier for users of its operating system to create meetings or to join meetings.

You can now easily set up a video call and reach friends and family in an instant by clicking on the Meet Now icon in the notification area (system tray) of the taskbar in Windows 10. No sign ups or downloads needed.

Note: The new Meet Now icon is not added on Windows 10 Enterprise systems or Azure Active Directory accounts.

How to remove the Meet Now icon on Windows 10

Meet Now is useful to a subset of users. If you don't plan to use it, you may want to remove it from the taskbar as it takes up space without providing anything of use to you.

Multiple options are available to uninstall Meet Now from the system. One of the easier options involves right-clicking on the Meet Now icon and selecting "hide" from the context menu that opens. Doing so removes the Meet Now icon from the Windows 10 taskbar.

Another option that you have is to open the Settings application on the system, e.g. by using the shortcut Windows-I, or by selecting Start > Settings, going to Personalization > Taskbar, selecting "turn system icons on or off", and toggling "Meet Now" on the page that opens to off. You may restore Meet Now at anytime using the Settings app, but need to make sure the feature is set to on this time.

Removing Meet Now via the Group Policy

System administrators may disable (or enable) the Meet Now icon on the Windows 10 taskbar using the Group Policy. The Group Policy is only available in professional editions of Windows 10, and not in Windows 10 Home.

Here is how that is done:

  1. You need elevated rights to use the Group Policy.
  2. Use Windows-R to open the runbox.
  3. Type gpedit.msc and select OK.
  4. Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar
  5. Double-click on "Remove the Meet Now icon".
  6. Set the feature to "Enabled" to hide the icon on the taskbar of the Windows 10 operating system.
  7. Restart the PC.

Removing Meet Now using the Registry

You may also remove Meet Now on Windows 10 using the Registry.

  1. Use Windows-R to open the runbox.
  2. Type regedit.exe and select OK.
  3. For individual users, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
    1. Right-click on Explorer and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
    2. Name it HideSCAMeetNow.
    3. Set its value to 1.
  4. For all users, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
    1. Right-click on Explorer and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
    2. Name it HideSCAMeetNow.
    3. Set its value to 1.
  5. Restart the PC.

Now You: have you used Meet Now? What is your take on it?

Summary
What is Meet Now in Windows 10 and how to remove it
Article Name
What is Meet Now in Windows 10 and how to remove it
Description
Find out what Meet Now is and does, and how to remove the Meet Now icon from the Windows 10 taskbar.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Richard said on August 14, 2022 at 10:57 am
    Reply

    Also, Meet does not appear anywhere in Task Manager. Can’t find anything in services either, but they probably named it something obscure

  2. Richard said on August 14, 2022 at 10:50 am
    Reply

    I just discovered that Meet claims first dibs on my camera, so I cannot use the Camera app or OBS or anything else that requires the camera. I uninstalled Skype (apps/Unistall) but the camera is still not available! WTF!

  3. Anonymous said on February 8, 2022 at 7:23 am
    Reply

    M$ sold my Skype account to some dude in Brazil in 2015, so why the hell do I need Meet Now?

  4. Anonymous said on January 29, 2022 at 1:03 pm
    Reply

    Im tired of MS constantly dictating what is installed and running on the machine I PAID for. Has anyone ever actually asked them how many updates they have ever applied were are on behalf of, or for, the govt or Intel services? I bet there are plenty.

  5. Kevin M. said on November 13, 2021 at 5:13 pm
    Reply

    I do not use Skype, never have used it and never will use it! It has been removed from my PC and I find it extremely intrusive that Micrcrap installed and enabled this without so much as asking my permission! In fact there is a lot of crap this POS company does and I have zero input! Which is why I only use this crap OS for my gaming system. For any real computer work I use Linux and I highly recommend everyone do the same!

  6. Chairman Miao said on November 11, 2021 at 6:04 pm
    Reply

    The mofo turned up today after MS update last night, but I don’t hate Meet Now as much as I hate Windows Telemetry which steals my electricity and bashes the living sh11te out of my hard disk on a regular and frequent basis.

    People of the world, how about a class action against Microsoft for stealing our power and fuelling climate change? To the barricades, comrades!

    1. Anonymous said on January 29, 2022 at 1:09 pm
      Reply

      If you search online there are articles that show you how to turn off a lot of their telemtry collection.

      The other thing I noticed is that these jobs only run: 1) after midnight, 2) when the mahcine is not in use, and 3) when they are connected to the mains. When you have finished with your computer for the evening if you unplug your mains cable these services wont run that night. I do it every night now.

    2. Kevin M. said on November 13, 2021 at 5:16 pm
      Reply

      Climate change is a made up lie you know right? In fact the climate has been constantly changing since day one of this planet and we have NO say in it, nor can we change or manipulate it! If we could, this would have been done long ago! All they are doing is making themselves rich of our ignorance and making claims that cannot be substantiated in anyway shape or form and if you look at the REAL science its obvious!

  7. WooHoo said on November 10, 2021 at 5:46 pm
    Reply

    Death to Microsoft!

  8. joe said on September 5, 2021 at 6:39 pm
    Reply

    It amazes me how many sites out there say “how to remove meetnow” and only show you how to hide the icon. lol. Hello McFly, that does not remove it. If we can’t remove it, just say so up front.

  9. Brian J Baumgartner said on July 20, 2021 at 5:38 am
    Reply

    NONE of these solutions actually remove Meet Now. They can hide the icon and disable the program, but it still sits there on the computer. This removal claim should be corrected throughout the article, if for no other reason than to greatly reduce the amount of time wasted by users who arrived through Googling removal.

  10. Anonymous said on June 11, 2021 at 6:20 pm
    Reply

    I say the same. I was in process of removing the usual crap from MS bloat ware. Then I got to this stupid “Meet Now” icon. Should be call “My Meet Now” to be MS compliant naming convention with the evil paper clip eye (I think it was in old Word). Can someone create an overlay like Space Invaders to kill all bloat ware. Fire Fire Delete Fire Fire Ka-Boom! That would be a fun way to destroy useless MS bloat bots. Cheers, Ron Lentjes.

  11. Moron000(jackobyte) said on May 15, 2021 at 11:41 am
    Reply

    the real problem is the corrupt courts that allow the concept of license thus exterminating ownership. At the very least a legitimate court would allow licenses but rule against un-notified pushed changes. But such is the corruption that they would just do an empty untruthful notification with the usual T and C’s and Bills your uncle. I’m sure microsoft (and all other major players) spend more on their lawyers and lobbying than they ro on R and D.It is amazing to think those old fuddy duddies on the supreme court were not convinced to agree all purchases are never owned by the buyer. My guess is that no car manufacturer wanted to be lumbered by the retained ownership of a billion old cars, but as software is just clouds of electrons no probs baby. What is needed is a class action against MS that would leave gates with a negative fortune and afflict the parasite with malaria. He is forminible if you thought IBM was hot, he gave the finger to them on many occasions. but, of course none of this matters unless the case is heard in a peoples court. failing that: torches and pitchforks at dawn as seems to be happening all over the world right now.

    1. Anonymous said on January 29, 2022 at 1:12 pm
      Reply

      You do have to also wonder how many ‘updates’ are on behalf of the govt and Intel services in return for co-operative courts and legislation, and lightweight tax audits.

  12. Anonymous said on March 8, 2021 at 7:16 pm
    Reply

    This Computer is Mine. I have not given Microsoft any rights to install Spyware on my computer.
    Stop this Now.

  13. poop said on January 24, 2021 at 11:52 pm
    Reply

    remove not hide

    1. Kenneth Johnson said on February 3, 2021 at 11:17 pm
      Reply

      If this truly is “Microsoft adds a feature for people to meet easier during a pandemic” then why did they go to such lengths to make sure that we can’t get completely rid of it? Did it really have to be so “sticky” for people to use it to “meet during a pandemic”? That doesn’t pass the laugh test. It sounds like a White House press secretary (any administration) tap-dancing around a tough question.

  14. derpules said on January 21, 2021 at 7:41 pm
    Reply

    No you won’t

    Because you have no idea what you are talking about, and if you did, you ‘d realize how stupid you sound up and down the comments section of this article, with all the other know it alls here who also, by and large, have 0 knowledge but maximum loudness of their ignorant rantings

    Microsoft adds a feature for people to meet easier during a pandemic and useless Karens like yourself get up on the “muh privacy” podium. Probably complained on facebook about it to the rest of the henhouse

    You are way out of your element, get over it and get over yourself. It’s one click to disable FFS

    1. Moron000(jackobyte) said on May 15, 2021 at 11:56 am
      Reply

      Do you realize how stoopid you sound? oh Emperor!

  15. F_F_Sakes said on January 18, 2021 at 3:23 am
    Reply

    Out of NOWHERE did this Meet Now app appear in the taskbar….it looks like some serious SPYWARE to me just waiting to be clicked on. God I HATE Microsoft, i want to opt out so badly!

  16. diana said on January 9, 2021 at 8:08 pm
    Reply

    I don’t have anything under Policies so I can’t get rid of it. GRR. It makes me very angry. I like what i like and Skype and Meet Now is not what I like.

  17. someOne said on December 21, 2020 at 11:34 am
    Reply

    shouldn’t it be illegal to install things on someone’s PC without their knowledge? why is MS getting away with this ?

    1. ferdinand feghoot said on December 28, 2020 at 6:03 pm
      Reply

      suspect you will find the answer to that in the EULA.

      1. Moron000(jackobyte) said on May 15, 2021 at 11:55 am
        Reply

        No the culprits are the interperators thereof and the whole SheBang of falsch Civilization.

  18. AMit said on December 20, 2020 at 10:48 pm
    Reply

    “REMOVING” but it actually hiding. What a waste of digital space.

  19. Karin Logan said on December 19, 2020 at 3:27 pm
    Reply

    The installation of this caused my computer to Blue Screen of Death. Microsift needs to be sued. Updates we don’t ask for should be ILLEGAL!

  20. Anonymous said on December 18, 2020 at 3:36 pm
    Reply

    Thank

  21. JJ said on December 18, 2020 at 1:07 am
    Reply

    Complaining here does no good, [email protected] is the official address to complain to. When they first started doing this it was Internet Explorer you couldn’t remove – the resulting antitrust suit by the DOJ put them in their place for almost a decade before they started doing this again. Remember to focus on the monopolism and how they are using their monopoly in one market (operating systems) to gain an unfair advantage in other markets – not about how annoying it is. The DOJ is supposed to investigate anticompetitive business practices, not just bad customer service, so if you make it about how annoying it is they will toss it but if you make it about them using their monopoly for an advantage they are supposed to look into it

  22. TVOA said on December 18, 2020 at 12:36 am
    Reply

    It’s all cloud based spyware…Big Tech hand in hand with Big Brother wants to know and control everything that you do, say and have access to. We are further down the rabbit hole than even George Orwell could have imagined.

  23. Thwarted said on December 17, 2020 at 12:04 pm
    Reply

    I just wanted the name of the service program so I could go into services and disable it if I cannot uninstall it properly. Meet Now is a new push from Microsoft to get people to use it instead of the Zoom crap. Both of these applications are trash. Microsoft had a perfect non invasive and annoyance free app that did this several Windows versions back called Net Meeting. It was ahead of it’s time with webcam, chat and audio. It was IP based calling that worked perfectly, just needed a slight update to work around routers by using domains and it would of been perfect. But no, they removed it sense Windows 7 and now using Skype to reinvent something they already had. This is so stupid it hurts my brain.

  24. Cat the Lionheart said on December 14, 2020 at 2:52 pm
    Reply

    If I don’t have a garden, a lawnmower manufacturer shouldn’t be allowed to store their sh… product in my apartment.

    I shouldn’t be inconvenienced or lose space without them paying ME for the privilege.

    And I shouldn’t have to become an expert in lawnmower removal.

    Why are the authorities not dealing with this already?

  25. Jordan Baker said on December 13, 2020 at 5:59 pm
    Reply

    It should be illegal to treat users like this. They strip every legal right away from us without so much as an apology and then they wonder why people hate them so much? Across the board Microsoft has decided that it will tell paying customers what they want and not the other way around.

  26. Observation2021 said on December 13, 2020 at 8:17 am
    Reply

    Why? Because MS does not actually make Windows for home users.

    Its really aimed at business and supporting business apps. (not small small mom & pop shop either).

    Home use is basic user-paid advertising and training for business use. And quite often to enable cool business websites.,,and in this case ready to hook into video meetings with insurance adjusters etc when big business wants to put on a friendly face to home users as well as other users.

    Funny how few businesses want customers to see employee faces after all the pushing MS, Cisco and other big IT corps have done.

  27. DAR said on December 12, 2020 at 5:08 am
    Reply

    I never had Skype on this laptop and all of a sudden it appeared a number of months ago and just didn’t pay attention to it as my older laptop had it.
    Now today I see this fucking Meet Now on here and I don’t want it.
    I hate Microsoft and how they just do what they want with your computer.
    Bill Gates is one of the Elites in the world and believes people should be limited to having only 1 child and wants to decrease the world population…………did you know that?
    Interesting now that COVID is here to kill of some of the worlds population.
    Remember MONEY BUYS EVERYTHING and he has enough to pay anyone to do anything!

  28. Anonymous said on December 10, 2020 at 6:44 pm
    Reply

    This is a demonstration of how to create a process that completely goes around the msconfig selective startup, doesn’t even appear in task manager and therefore can not be halted and can’t even be disabled.

    There is only one reason to create such a service on a users machine. If you are a low life hacking spy and want to place malware on a machine that your user can not detect nor disable. And Microsoft has just demonstrated how they do it and this is the type of stuff they have been doing for years. There simply is no reason to create such a devious service! If users want skype on our machines, we can download and install it for ourselves.

    Users need to band together and demand that features like this are removed and explanations why they were put there in the first place. MS keeps on placing back doors and ticking time bombs in our systems and then spend all their time trying to patch these gaping holes when “bad guys” figure out how to exploit them. The truth is, the real bad guys are the ones writing this code in the first place and the governments that are working with them to put it there.

    Stop spying on us and planting these back doors and we wouldn’t have all the viruses and trojans and malware hacking our identities in the first place!

    1. Jonathan Smith said on December 12, 2020 at 7:53 am
      Reply

      Actually it’s not a demonstration of how to create a process, service (devious or otherwise), background app, or even a TSR, and as such will not appear in msconfig, task manager, and is not listed in process explorer in SysInternals… it is a system icon, like, Volume (not your proprietary sound driver control panel, but the native Windows audio control), or like Network or like Power. These system icons do not consume system resources, short of reading in some values to populate their UI when needed, and like with Meet Now, can be hidden/removed from view by a simple toggle.

      Go ahead and band together, and demand explanations, Microsoft is quite transparent with just about everything except proprietary code. Such an action would be met, in my estimation, with a reminder you don’t get to demand anything be added or removed, or how Microsoft is going to conduct business on THEIR property. You didn’t buy Windows 10 (no matter what the edition), so they will roll out that beautifully crafted and quite fair license agreement(s). Don’t like the OS distributed to most freely, and for a small license fee on subsequent distributions, the license agreement tells you how to deal with that too!

      All “spying” is anonymized user data that can be stopped entirely, Microsoft calls it telemetry. An icon that launches only well known software (be it installed application instance of Skype or a browser with an established trusted Skype URL) being a backdoor? I guess in some hacker’s mind, it could be, but so could Power, Network, Volume, etc.

      The final remark on “all the viruses and trojans and malware hacking our identities,” is just that last nail in this rant, which like so many before it got so much wrong, it’s hard to speak at the level needed to address serious issues because you demonstrate ignorance of some of the basics. Ignorance is not an insult, it’s simply a lack of information or failure to properly assimilate information when provided, so do so homework, and then compose a rant that one can answer more cogently.

  29. Anonymous said on December 9, 2020 at 11:23 pm
    Reply

    I don’t want to HIDE it! I want the damn thing removed completely! I want it using zero resources…none…nada.

  30. Anonymous said on December 8, 2020 at 6:16 pm
    Reply

    you have shown us how to hide it and still leave it in the registery by saying the word “hide” in the command. that is a bit misleading saying it is removal instructions. how to remove it from your computer permanently? by saying “remove” instead of “hide” and giving it a zero “0” instead of a 1?

  31. Microsoft stop forcing garbage down our throats said on December 7, 2020 at 10:25 pm
    Reply

    I’m sick and tired of microsoft forcing their bullcrap down our throats

  32. A reluctant Win10 user said on December 7, 2020 at 2:55 pm
    Reply

    This icon showed up on my PC this morning. Last night it indicated it was doing a windows update. However looking at the control panel this morning, it does not show any windows updates since November. However this stupid icon is there this morning all the same.

    Microsoft is SO DAMN ANNOYING !!

  33. Robert Chmielinski said on December 7, 2020 at 3:17 am
    Reply

    Thanks for the simple instructions on removing “meet now” from the taskbar.

  34. Siva said on December 6, 2020 at 5:55 pm
    Reply

    I thought it was a spamware and a skype meeting for some dating site until I saw that it was pushed by the microsoft itself. They could’ve given an info telling that. Last year, we tried our level best to make skype work in our mobiles and laptops but was failing in many, even with microsoft account, which forced us to take up google hangouts. So these days, no requirement for skype at all. They should give us an option to uninstall it (and not just hide it)!

  35. MC Wong said on December 6, 2020 at 3:37 pm
    Reply

    It appeared on 1 laptop but not another. How can I enable or install it ?

  36. Anonymous said on December 6, 2020 at 10:35 am
    Reply

    I need a version of windows where they dont add thiings i dont want. bare bones

  37. Ruth Inman said on December 5, 2020 at 4:46 am
    Reply

    My “Take” on this is….
    1) we don’t need YET ANOTHER video program. Skype failed dismally and it had it’s chance. Get rid of Skype AND Meet now.
    2) STOP putting programs/features on our computers that we can’t UNINSTALL. We paid for these damn machines you have no right to keep adding stuff we don’t want. It makes me want to buy Apple or Linux even more.

  38. VioletMoon said on December 4, 2020 at 11:27 pm
    Reply

    Meet Now finally appeared on the Taskbar. What is the BIG deal?

    Right click “Hide” like any other System Icon to turn on or off.

    Oh, it’s the principle of the idea; if MS didn’t place the Network Icon or any of the others, then users would be complaining that they had to go in and click to show the Icon.

    What a dribble of inanity.

    1. cir3.1TAB said on December 5, 2020 at 9:34 am
      Reply

      apples and oranges

  39. Anon E. Mouse said on December 4, 2020 at 9:16 pm
    Reply

    Welcome to the internet. 8 comments in to a topic regarding Microsoft’s continual forcing of their ‘expanded business model’ upon us, and the comments area devolves to an argument about cell phone plans.

    Sigh.

  40. joan lockwood said on December 4, 2020 at 2:36 am
    Reply

    Got all the way to Explore in the registry (to remove more of your inconsiderate pushy software “updates”) and I only have Edge no explorer !! where is Internet explorer located?

  41. Disgruntled said on December 3, 2020 at 11:01 pm
    Reply

    Thanx to all for this discussion. It just popped up 12/3/20 on
    Windows 10 Home, Version 1909, Build 18363.1198

  42. Brian Wilson said on December 3, 2020 at 3:55 pm
    Reply

    Meet now is a blatant abuse of Microsoft trying to promote their sad Skype 8.x application. Skype 8.x was widely panned by users, many of which dropped using Skype because of the reduced functionality and poor development.

    Meet now, is a set of links to Skype (whether or not it is installed), and a basic waste of time. Microsoft continues to foist off their rotten products on users that have no choice but to accept the software updates. Thank the deity for Linux.

  43. JRad said on December 2, 2020 at 9:53 pm
    Reply

    We only rent our Windows10 Pro Operating Systems.

    Skype is being forced, er…sorry…”promoted”
    by Microsoft in competition with Zoom Technologies.

    KB4580364 was the update responsible for this PUP ‘feature experience’.
    I tried to remove that KB, nope.
    Meet Now still “now”.
    ‘opt In’ is still ‘forced In’.
    Why did I feel violated?
    I didn’t see MEET NOW in the tray until KB4586876 forced a reboot on me.

    (Win10Pro – “2004” OS build 19041.630 from .610)

    Icon can be hidden, but functionality remains on system.
    If Skype not on system, link reverts to Web Cloud Skype.
    Sometimes this clown…er…sorry, cloud service crashes too.

  44. Lee G. Weaver said on December 2, 2020 at 8:34 pm
    Reply

    I want to know how to actually remove it, not hide it. I don’t want something running in the background that I don’t need. I want it gone. either completly deleted form my system or, at elast prevented from running. but I can’t even find a service that is named this to disable. when someone has any luck getting rid of this SHOUT IT LOUD!!.

    on another note. you would think after microsoft got into hot water for bunbling IE they would stop bundling things. but they are back to bundling a browser and now crap like this. I think zoom and others need to sue the pants off of them for anti-competitive business practices.

    1. Anonymous said on December 14, 2020 at 2:25 pm
      Reply

      right!

  45. ih said on December 2, 2020 at 5:00 pm
    Reply

    This is yet another dose of proof that Microsoft and other monopolistic companies are very confident in their stranglehold on the US government. If they were even the slightest bit concerned about trust-busting or campaign finance reform, they wouldn’t go out of their way to piss off their users, which seems to be all they do, these days. Google has been bending over backwards to make me hate them. I used to have a very positive opinion of Google and a lukewarm opinion of Microsoft. I now think we’d be better off if they were completely and permanently shuttered.

  46. Anonymous said on December 2, 2020 at 3:41 pm
    Reply

    I remember a day when we were automatically opted out now you are automatically opted in for such things. I agree; this should have been handled better.

  47. junkchuck said on December 2, 2020 at 3:27 pm
    Reply

    I wish Microsoft would stop pummeling us with stupid, useless bloat and provide a clean, uncluttered, straight-forward operating system or, even more ideally, a “buffet-style” menu where users can actually choose the tools they need. Adding insult to injury are the smug and condescending replies that microsoft-sanctioned “volunteer” independent advisors throw back at legitimate users with legitimate questions. Asking questions to microsoft.com is a lot like consulting dial-a-troll.

    1. Anonymous said on December 17, 2020 at 12:32 am
      Reply

      That doesn’t show how to remove unwanted intrusion into a person’s computer system, it is only an apologetic showing how little Microsoft and sycophants care about walking over people using the O/S

  48. Fed-up with Windows updates said on December 2, 2020 at 6:55 am
    Reply

    Those arrogant SOBs at Microsoft fobbed this off – unannounced – in the latest Windows Update. Not a hint of it mentioned in the What’s new in this update article. I HATE THESE UPDATES THAT INSTALL UNWANTED OR UNANNOUNCED ‘FEATURES’ OR THAT REMOVE PROGRAMS WITHOUT THE USERS’ CONSENT OR KNOWLEDGE. How much space is it taking up on my system? It’s not sufficient to hide the stupid icon. How much time do we have to waste hunting down information on these intrusive, irrelevant changes? Thank you to ghacks for this straightforward article.

  49. Joe Baloney said on December 2, 2020 at 1:29 am
    Reply

    Thanks for including the registry entry I wish more articles included this information so that users would have access to a secure and reliable method.

  50. Barksalot said on December 1, 2020 at 7:52 pm
    Reply

    Is this even my computer or have I borrowed it from Micro$oft?

    Why is my OS(that I paid money for) a free bill board for Microsoft to advertise their shitty software on?

  51. Stephen V said on December 1, 2020 at 6:57 pm
    Reply

    You can delete Meet Now by uninstalling all of the Security Updates for Microsoft Windows through the control panel. Not sure if this is a great idea, but its what I did because Fuck Microsoft.

    1. Ellie Kesselman said on February 27, 2021 at 1:08 am
      Reply

      This Meet Now thing just showed up on my most recent Windows 10 update. Microsoft should be ashamed. This is what we are now forced to do in order to remove stupid unwanted bloatware as a Windows user. Windows XP had that nice “uninstall” feature that was easy to find and execute. I have no intention of uninstalling all Security Updates for Windows, nor should it be necessary to do so in order to remove stupid Meat Now.

      Removing the icon is not equivalent to uninstalling the program, and Martin knows this. I am also kind of shocked that anyone would be willing to mess with group policy or registry just to uninstall an icon yet allow the program executable to remain running.

      PS Nice comment system on ghacks!

  52. Zak707 said on December 1, 2020 at 5:57 pm
    Reply

    Or go Settings Menu\Personalization\Taskbar then click ‘Turn system icons on or off’ and toggle Meet Now to your liking.

    1. Michele said on December 13, 2020 at 2:43 pm
      Reply

      Hi Zak707. Thanx for this. Your instructions are easy to follow and work. Appreciated.

  53. Ann said on December 1, 2020 at 5:15 pm
    Reply

    As much as I hate things being forced down my throat, I would actually use it. It will be a replacement for my zoom meetings without the 40 Minute time limit!

  54. kev said on December 1, 2020 at 3:06 pm
    Reply

    who asked me? If I wanted it on I would have put it on, Its my computer I should have a say of what is and isn’t put on it, Where the **** is the uninstall?

    1. michele said on December 13, 2020 at 1:51 pm
      Reply

      Kev, exactly. Imagine if we did this to them, They’ve gone too far this time. Enough is enough. Users need to get together and take class action.

      1. Anonymous said on December 14, 2020 at 2:21 pm
        Reply

        I thought someone was watching me through it???? Does it have anything to do with Duo???

  55. theno said on December 1, 2020 at 7:58 am
    Reply

    Isn’t this blatant hacking?

    1. michele said on December 13, 2020 at 1:50 pm
      Reply

      theno – yes it is.
      also, the removal tools’ donot not work. I’ll see a solicitor after Christmas.

  56. Tom Arctus said on December 1, 2020 at 5:44 am
    Reply

    don’t need it, don’t want it, don’t use it, don’t “give” it to me please like a dose of the clap

  57. Dan said on December 1, 2020 at 5:02 am
    Reply

    I removed skype a long time ago and the icon wasn’t installed on my computer and I am up to date.

  58. menghhuii said on December 1, 2020 at 4:14 am
    Reply

    u noe wad?
    since i dont hv a home, am neither a student nor a professional, i dont need a window!

  59. SpywareFan said on November 30, 2020 at 5:58 pm
    Reply

    With 20H2 I’ve found the Windows Insider Service running in background, even if the service was disabled and not allowed by group policy, obviously all connection attempts were blocked by the firewall… So no Meat Now in my WS!
    W10 is plagued by serious issues, instead of releasing a stable OS they continue spending time to add bloatware and spyware into their c….y inOS, the same happens with their “office” junkware.
    This and other nasty things (new telespyware, “uninstalled” bloat-apps running in background, files disappearing during save operations, …) made me restore the 1909 backup and block all network requests for all win bloat-services… No more M$ updates on my machines!

  60. EXel said on November 30, 2020 at 2:19 am
    Reply

    It’s better to remove all shit from image of windows, before install.

    1. Dustin said on December 31, 2020 at 9:27 pm
      Reply

      Or just buy a base windows without all the added crap.

  61. Reality Checker said on November 30, 2020 at 1:26 am
    Reply

    Windows10; the NSA/GHCQ wet dream come true.

  62. Hullio said on November 29, 2020 at 7:14 pm
    Reply

    When Google or Apple or Facebook invade these selfish entitled pros, nobody complains but when Microstation (a commercial entity) adds features to its own products, they’re all up in arms. Move to Linux and have full control instead of b*tching.

  63. VioletMoon said on November 29, 2020 at 6:47 pm
    Reply

    Funny, I wouldn’t use a nuclear bomb such as a registry edit or group policy setting to make a simple change to the task bar in settings.

    Funny, I use Skype, have Skype desktop installed, attempted to force the “Meet Now” taskbar icon to appear using some instructions from BetaNews, and I still can’t get the silly icon to show.

    Such is life.

    Asi es la vida!

  64. Danniello said on November 29, 2020 at 2:31 pm
    Reply

    I have a question: is somewhere available Windows 10 Real Pro (No Bloatware Edition) that could be legally bought (so Education or Business edition is not the option)?

    Or maybe is there somewhere in the Win10 option “Disable auto-enabling via forced updates past, present and future Microsoft bloatware and advertisements”?

    Because for my Windows friends it is very uncomfortable again and again finding new GPO and/or registry settings to disable yet another forced new “functionality” in standard Win10 Pro (Bloatware And Telemetry Edition)…

    1. Anonymous said on January 12, 2021 at 6:56 am
      Reply

      Very well said

  65. Gopalasivaswamy Shivaraj said on November 29, 2020 at 7:51 am
    Reply

    Hi, Skype continued to exist on my Windows XP Professional with addition of Service Pack 1 Desktop OS and all along with Windows 7 Ultimate with SP1 Version, uptill I got it changed it to Windows 10 Pro (20H2) through Media Creation Tool and the free upgrade from MS a week ago,when only this Meet Now started popping up and continued to rest in the Taskbar.
    However as I decided to drop using Skype that had become a fashion of the past, Meet Now also went along with it, without meeting any one and without any hitch.

    1. Dustin said on December 31, 2020 at 9:25 pm
      Reply

      Except you never uninstalled meetnow as it isn’t linked with Skypes installation.

  66. ilev said on November 29, 2020 at 7:31 am
    Reply

    “Removing Meet Now….”

    Martin, You remove the icon NOT the software.
    So how do we uninstall ‘Meet Now’ completely ?

    1. wd said on November 29, 2020 at 9:57 am
      Reply

      you can’t remove it. all it does is launch skype if you have it installed or launch a browser page for web skype if you don’t.

      1. sporkinum said on December 2, 2020 at 8:51 pm
        Reply

        Which is what I found out. What I also found out is that skype page says doesn’t work with Firefox as the default browser.

  67. PK said on November 29, 2020 at 6:16 am
    Reply

    Now more than ever Windows has turned to an ad for their services. I don’t blame them, I blame our goverments, they should do something about it when windows is a monopoly on desktop computers. Why don’t they stop this monopolistic behaviour?

    1. john said on December 3, 2020 at 4:48 pm
      Reply

      It is not the governments fault. You are the government and you should take action yourself. Don’t blame others for using something you don’t like.

    2. Peterc said on November 30, 2020 at 2:38 am
      Reply

      @PK: “Follow the money” is usually a good place to start.

  68. F-ck Microsoft said on November 29, 2020 at 2:14 am
    Reply

    That’s B.S. What is the “development version of Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system”??? I am not part of the insider program for windows updates and this piece of shit “Meet Now” showed up on my taskbar. Ridiculous!

  69. ULBoom said on November 28, 2020 at 10:55 pm
    Reply

    Love the title! How about tips on removing the remaining 99% of Windows junkware? :)

    One of Windows’ big problems (not just Windows, either) are features with cryptic, confusing or even metaphorical names that don’t describe what they do, splattered all over the interface.

    1. Eris said on December 5, 2020 at 12:01 pm
      Reply

      Wasted some time scanning for malware before learning it was a gimmick from MS. How does it hide from Process Explorer, where is the executable?

    2. Billy Bates said on November 29, 2020 at 1:17 pm
      Reply

      format c: /q

      1. smiley said on December 1, 2020 at 3:21 pm
        Reply

        [grin]

  70. sdv said on November 28, 2020 at 9:54 pm
    Reply

    eh… it’s already live in my copy of 20h2 home … (upgraded from 1909) 19042.630. think i first saw it maybe 2 weeks back.

  71. Leak said on November 28, 2020 at 9:31 pm
    Reply

    I’m pretty sure I’m not running a development build but regular 20H2, but I’ve had that icon on the taskbar already, and since I don’t use Skype I’ve also already deactivated it… so are you sure it’s in development builds only?

  72. Anonymous said on November 28, 2020 at 9:24 pm
    Reply

    Groan! Why does Microsoft force apps onto all that most people never use.

    1. Anonymous said on December 12, 2020 at 2:03 am
      Reply

      The company is pushing beyond monopolist boundaries. Those which they feel the public cant afford to fight legally.

    2. James Kirk said on November 29, 2020 at 8:54 am
      Reply

      In a hope that even if 1% of their total userbase starts using their new fangled software, it’ll be a hit

      1. A Bastard said on November 29, 2020 at 1:44 pm
        Reply

        You mean they just throw all their badly made junk at the wall, to see if any of it sticks?

        I wonder if M$ programmers fly Ryanair?

        Then we could adapt the old joke to them..

        “Microsoft programmers Stick To Principles, and often to other things as well!”

      2. Anonymous said on December 20, 2020 at 7:20 pm
        Reply

        My next computer will be a mac.

      3. Anonymous said on December 2, 2020 at 1:21 pm
        Reply

        To be far Google does this year after year, so its no different but still shit

  73. Sprite said on November 28, 2020 at 8:24 pm
    Reply

    Thank you! One less intrusive feature out of hundreds now. Why isn’t there a option to completely remove it? So in the future they can move the registry key and it magically turns itself back on?

    Sick of Microsoft pushing their unnecessary garbage on to pro users with permission. Who uses Skype anymore except for people who don’t know better?

    1. Anonymous said on January 16, 2021 at 3:25 pm
      Reply

      so if you hide it , it disappears but if you have no control or admin rights how do we know for sure it’s disabled??? conspiracy 101. I don’t understand why we are “just not asked if we want it.”

    2. Jojo said on November 29, 2020 at 10:15 am
      Reply

      I use Skype because for $8.32 every 3 months, I get unlimited outgoing calling to any phone in the USA & Canada. Can’t beat that deal!

      Why don’t I use my cellphone? Because I have an old $30/monthly T-M plan that limits me to 100 talk minutes monthly (unlimited texts, 5GB at full speed), which I easily exceed on conversations with family members or when I have to do calls with long hold times.

      That’s the problem with the internet. Too many people with very limited world experience think they are smarter than they really are.

      1. sparhawk said on November 12, 2021 at 11:09 pm
        Reply

        you should try discord… no spyware/malware/crap you don’t want, you can communicate with anyone anywhere for free, discord itself is free, i’m always reachable etc…. i mean seriously? you still use skype? it was crap when it first came out, it was made worse when microsoft bought it, and now we’re getting other crap shoved down our throats we do not want.

        here’s food for thought, yeah we may “rent” windows….. but i do not rent my internet, my pc, or my valuable time getting rid of forced crap. so regardless of the eula… spyware, spam, bloatware etc. all goes against the same TOS.

      2. Anonymous said on December 26, 2020 at 7:38 pm
        Reply

        @jojo you can get unlimited mins for around that price these days you may want to shop around i think tmobile your own carrier has one around that price

      3. Anonymous said on December 4, 2020 at 10:30 am
        Reply

        look at magic-jack, its beat now :)

      4. Barksalot said on December 1, 2020 at 7:47 pm
        Reply

        @Jojo You must be one of those that don’t know any better as the OP stated.

        Besides the fact that you’re wasting money on that plan, you’re supporting Microsoft’s anticompetitive and malicious practices.

      5. Jim said on November 30, 2020 at 6:35 am
        Reply

        i’m sorry but you’re in no position to be saying things like

        “Too many people with very limited world experience think they are smarter than they really are.”

        when you can get way better mobile phone plans for the same price or $5 more. With cricket(at&t, not even the cheapest) you can get ten gigs of data and unlimited talk and text for $35.
        You’re living in the past

      6. Wayne said on September 30, 2021 at 7:03 pm
        Reply

        One may be true about the prices yoou quote, providing you live in the US. I live in Canada. Unfortunately we have the most expensive Cell phones in the developed world at least that is what is often said. Your prices may apply in the US, are they available in other countries and is the plan the person you are referring to from an American Plan or another country?

      7. Anonymous said on January 10, 2021 at 8:26 pm
        Reply

        I used to have an AT&T prepaid phone that gave me unlimited calls and texting for $30 a month. You might want to check that out.

      8. Anonymous said on December 11, 2020 at 11:38 pm
        Reply

        A perfect example of why she is correct

      9. Anonymous said on December 2, 2020 at 7:08 am
        Reply

        You are very good at telling other people how to spend their money. Cricket? Really? C’mon. Other plans out there for $20 bucks/90 days.

  74. clake said on November 28, 2020 at 6:26 pm
    Reply

    It showed up on one win 10 pro release version with the 20H2 upgrade.

  75. Dave said on November 28, 2020 at 5:44 pm
    Reply

    This is already out, it is not limited to the development version.

    I’m on Version 2004, OS Build 1904.630, WFEP 120.2212.30

    I’ve already had to hide this, twice. I just right clicked and chose hide the first time. After the last update I disabled it with GPE.

    FYI I have Quality updates delayed for 14 days and Feature updates delayed for 180. Also I’m located in Ca. USA

    1. Anonymous said on January 16, 2021 at 5:36 pm
      Reply

      Win Aero Tweaker is a small but nifty bit of software that allows you to turn of updates in win 10 easily, and lots of other useful stuff too. Just a thought.

      1. Anonymous said on February 13, 2021 at 12:01 pm
        Reply

        I wouldn’t call turning off updates ‘useful’. It just leaves you open to un-patched flaws in the OS. I would rather have M$ spy on me than someone who wants to install ransomware or steel my credit cards.

      2. Jane Manfield said on October 18, 2023 at 10:22 am
        Reply

        Right, like you are important enough to hack. Stay off cheap porn sites and don’t download from sources you don’t trust. It isn’t rocket surgery.

  76. jfjb said on November 28, 2020 at 5:40 pm
    Reply

    I’m not running a Win10 development (nor insider) version but *Meet* did popup on my taskbar last month, no info but to exit — didn’t want to take a chance.
    Investigating, regedit showed multiple instances of MeetNow keyword, snug as a bug in a rug, must have been there for a while : (my) last updated build 19041630 @ 07.28.20.
    Thanks for the tip.

  77. Tony said on November 28, 2020 at 5:16 pm
    Reply

    I wonder if you remove Skype, if it also prevents this? I’ve only seen it recently, and it does not have any “executable” to dismiss in the Task Manager, nor startup entries, so it’s evidently another shady failure from Microsoft trying to force people to use their products.

    1. Jose Gomez said on September 13, 2021 at 10:14 pm
      Reply

      YOU CANNOT REMOVE ANYTHING IT IS GOING TO PUT IT SELF BACK EVEN IF ITS BVLOCKED.WINDOWS10 IS THE WORSE VIROUS THAT CAN POSSIBLY HIT THE NET. ITS NOT REPAIRABLE AND MAKES LIFE A LIVING FUCKING HELL

    2. michele said on December 13, 2020 at 1:49 pm
      Reply

      Tony you can’t remove rotten skype and I didnot ask for or consent to this damned Meet Now. So it becomes a legal issue and and an absolute invasion of privacy.
      Similarly, some damn thing by Google stopping me from browsing asking if I want them to write my email for me. This is headed in the wrong direction for these companies and it’s going to end up flat on it’s face.
      This is a private computer. They need damn good lawyers. Michele

      1. Anonymous said on May 10, 2021 at 8:54 pm
        Reply

        I uninstalled skype with Iobit uninstaller and other things also. Seems we cannot uninstall meet now, only hide it.

      2. C said on March 20, 2021 at 2:30 am
        Reply

        Yes you can remove Skype & most of the built-in applications Microsoft THINKS we have to use, I’ve removed many built-in applications myself.

      3. Novice said on May 23, 2022 at 2:31 pm
        Reply

        how? settings, control panel, then add or remove program. is not skype a built in program that require the OS permissions to remove. I find some programs easier to remove .

      4. d said on March 6, 2021 at 2:01 am
        Reply

        the legal issue is that microsoft has the license to win10 and can modify it at their own convenience. You don’t own it they do. You only rent it’s use.

      5. Jerry Davis said on December 23, 2020 at 12:38 am
        Reply

        If I remember correctly, we do not own the Operating System (OS) and Microsoft retains the right to do whatever it wants, like adding Skype. They do much worse with your data than merely adding Skype to your system. Linux Mint is a good, private, highly functional replacement if you want to fool with it. I used Linux for a while and eventually went back to Windows, which is a better OS that spies on me.

      6. Dustin said on December 31, 2020 at 9:19 pm
        Reply

        You actually own the version you purchased are are lawfully able to use it. That gives Microsoft no right to alter what you have already purchased without your consent.

      7. GregG said on January 9, 2021 at 10:59 pm
        Reply

        You do not own it. Win 10 is Software as a Service. You are paying for the lifetime use of that version of the operating system and the caveats that come with it. Read your MICROSOFT SOFTWARE LICENSE TERMS

        https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/Retail/Windows/10/UseTerms_Retail_Windows_10_English.htm

      8. hahayoulovecomments said on January 21, 2021 at 7:02 pm
        Reply

        (this post is satire, any resemblance to real entities is coincidental) how about if i upgraded from windows xp, to 7, to 10 when the free upgrades were offered? i bought xp. i did not buy 7 or 10. i ..you know what? screw this. when the civil war happens over all this, just assume im wearing a red shirt. you can wear billy goat’s blue.

      9. Anonymous said on January 12, 2021 at 11:55 pm
        Reply

        Love IQ reply, we own it.

    3. Charlie said on December 7, 2020 at 11:26 am
      Reply

      No Skype on this PC and Meet Now suddenly appeared today. I hate MS just adding stuff like that!

      1. Anonymous said on December 9, 2020 at 8:47 pm
        Reply

        i agree I hate MS just adding crap that NOT every one wants or needs!

      2. someone new said on February 16, 2021 at 3:18 pm
        Reply

        if you hate microsoft then dont use it. use ubuntu, mac or what ever

    4. Aidan said on December 2, 2020 at 3:53 pm
      Reply

      Skype randomly installed itself, but even if I remove it and restart, the Meet Now button sticks around.

    5. Robert Morris said on November 29, 2020 at 1:14 pm
      Reply

      I don’t have Skype installed on a computer and it appeared yesterday.

      It’s one of the features that are enabled through Windows Update but not installed as regular updates.

      1. Anonymous said on December 23, 2020 at 7:06 am
        Reply

        I have windows update disabled in services and automatic updates disabled in group policy, yet it still installed itself.

      2. Anonymous said on January 14, 2021 at 7:13 pm
        Reply

        Same here. Just appeared and I want it gone.

      3. Diana Lopez said on October 23, 2022 at 8:37 pm
        Reply

        I don’t know much but I do know is my phone was hacked and I did some research and hackers or whoever that is trying to get in uses Meet to sneak into peoples private information. My phone was taking pictures without me even touching it, battery running low without even using it, could not charge the battery but little bits at a time, my text messages where way larger than I had them set at and I never changed it and could not get it to go back to its original size. I dowloaded something on Craigslist for a job and won’t do that again because that is when all these problems aroused. The site that I downloaded was WorkWhile. Bad Bad Bad. So to cure this problem I had to reset my entire phone to brand new.

      4. Jim Vanderbilt said on January 15, 2021 at 5:56 pm
        Reply

        @ Anonymous
        So right-click on the Meet Now icon and select “hide”, WHAT’s YOUR PROBLEM ?

      5. Ralph said on November 25, 2021 at 7:52 am
        Reply

        Probably that HIDE does not mean UNINSTALL and that some people find Microsoft’s way forcing their stuff upon users annoying.
        Like advertising in start or their “news” for the simple minded.

      6. Anonymous said on November 12, 2021 at 12:58 am
        Reply

        MY PROBLEM IS THAT THIS IS UNCESSESARY CRAP I WANT OFF OF MY PC. Hope that was clear enough for you this time. You DO know the difference between uninstalling an app/feature and merely hiding a taskbar item, RIGHT?!

      7. FRED SMITH said on April 28, 2021 at 2:47 am
        Reply

        * [Editor:removed] Anything that is in the list of item that can be placed on the taskbar has something installed on the machine somewhere otherwise it wouldn’t be there! This is called bloatware and many of us don’t want it on our machines at all. it is like MS deciding I shouldn’t be able to simply remove the xbox game bar, or phone apps, who do they think they are? this is my computer and I don’t want edge or any of the other stuff I mentioned let me decide what I want and what I don’t

      8. Beth said on September 29, 2022 at 6:49 pm
        Reply

        While the author writes “Multiple options are available to uninstall Meet Now from the system”, he really only tells us how to hide the icon from the toolbar. How do you actually uninstall the program? It is not in the list of apps when I go to remove it.

      9. Inddy said on January 21, 2021 at 8:27 am
        Reply

        i dont want it hidden, hidden still uses resources, i want it GONE

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