How to Close Runtime Broker in Windows (And When You Actually Should)

If you've opened Task Manager and spotted Runtime Broker sitting there using more CPU or RAM than you'd expect, you're not alone. It's one of those Windows processes that looks suspicious precisely because most people have never heard of it. Here's what it actually does, how to manage it, and why the right approach depends on your specific situation.

What Is Runtime Broker?

Runtime Broker (RuntimeBroker.exe) is a legitimate Windows system process introduced in Windows 8 and carried forward into Windows 10 and 11. Its job is to manage permissions for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps — the kind you download from the Microsoft Store, like Photos, Calculator, Weather, or third-party Store apps.

When a UWP app requests access to your camera, microphone, location, or contacts, Runtime Broker acts as the middleman. It verifies that the app has permission to access those resources and enforces the boundaries set in your privacy settings. Think of it as a permissions gatekeeper running quietly in the background.

Under normal conditions, Runtime Broker uses very little memory — typically a few dozen megabytes — and its CPU usage spikes briefly when you open or close a Store app, then settles back down.

Why Runtime Broker Sometimes Spikes 🔍

High CPU or memory usage from Runtime Broker is usually a symptom, not the root cause. Common triggers include:

• A misbehaving UWP app that isn't releasing permissions cleanly after closing
• Notification or widget activity from apps like News, Weather, or the Start menu's live content
• Corrupted app data or a failed Windows Update that left a UWP component in a bad state
• Multiple UWP apps running simultaneously, each requesting permission checks at once
• Widgets panel in Windows 11, which runs ongoing background activity tied to Runtime Broker

If you see sustained high usage — not just a brief spike — something is likely triggering it repeatedly.

How to Close Runtime Broker

There are a few ways to stop it, ranging from temporary to more persistent.

Option 1: End the Task in Task Manager

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager
2. Find Runtime Broker under the Processes tab
3. Right-click it and select End Task

This terminates the process immediately. Windows will restart it automatically the next time a UWP app needs it. This approach is useful as a quick fix if Runtime Broker is temporarily consuming too many resources — it effectively resets the process without any lasting change to your system.

Option 2: Close the UWP App Causing the Spike

Since Runtime Broker responds to UWP app activity, closing the app that's triggering it is often more effective than ending Runtime Broker itself.

1. In Task Manager, sort by CPU or memory usage
2. Look for a Store app running alongside Runtime Broker
3. Close that app first, then check if Runtime Broker's usage drops

This targets the actual source rather than the symptom.

Option 3: Disable Background App Activity

If Runtime Broker is consistently high due to apps running in the background:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Background Apps (Windows 11) or Settings → Privacy → Background Apps (Windows 10)
2. Toggle off background activity for specific apps, or disable it globally

This reduces how often apps trigger permission checks in the background, which directly limits how active Runtime Broker needs to be.

Option 4: Disable Windows Widgets (Windows 11)

The Widgets panel in Windows 11 is a known contributor to elevated Runtime Broker activity. To disable it:

1. Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar settings
2. Toggle Widgets off

Alternatively, use the command line:

winget uninstall "Windows Web Experience Pack" 

This removes the package that powers Widgets entirely.

What Happens If You Disable It Permanently?

Some guides suggest disabling Runtime Broker through the registry or Group Policy. This is technically possible but comes with tradeoffs:

Permanently disabling Runtime Broker can cause UWP apps to malfunction or fail to open, since they lose their permissions handler. For most home users, this tradeoff isn't worth it.

Factors That Affect Your Situation 🖥️

What counts as "too much" usage from Runtime Broker varies considerably based on your setup:

• How many UWP apps you use: Someone who relies on Store apps for daily tasks will see more Runtime Broker activity than someone who uses only traditional desktop software
• Whether you're on Windows 10 or 11: Windows 11's Widgets integration makes Runtime Broker more active by default
• Your hardware: On a system with 4GB of RAM, even modest background usage matters more than on a machine with 16GB
• Your privacy settings: Tighter app permission settings mean fewer active permission checks
• Whether you've run Windows Update recently: Pending or failed updates can sometimes leave processes behaving unexpectedly

Is It Safe to Leave Running?

Yes — Runtime Broker is a legitimate, signed Microsoft process. If you're seeing it in Task Manager and it's using a reasonable amount of memory at idle, that's normal behavior. The file should always be located at C:WindowsSystem32RuntimeBroker.exe. If you see it running from any other directory, that's worth investigating as potential malware masquerading under the same name.

Whether managing, limiting, or ignoring Runtime Broker is the right call depends on how much of a performance impact you're actually experiencing, which apps you rely on, and how much of the Windows UWP ecosystem you want to keep intact. Those specifics are what ultimately determine the best path forward for your machine.