How to disable GeForce overlay on Windows

If you feel that you don't need the GeForce overlay or the features it provides, you can turn it off. The following article will list all possible methods to hide and disable Nvidia GeForce overlay.

Why use Nvidia GeForce overlay?

Nvidia GeForce overlay is a useful gaming utility. It offers many great features for avid gamers and streamers. Instead of installing separate software for each feature, gamers get them all in one app.

Here are some features of the Nvidia GeForce overlay:

1. Screen recording to store all game clips from a session.
2. Instant Replay to record the last 20 minutes of the game at 60 FPS.
3. Stream games to Twitch or YouTube.
4. Take high-resolution in-game screenshots and upload them to Google Photos or Imgur.
5. Share gameplay with friends.
6. Monitor graphics card performance.

Is it possible to disable Nvidia GeForce overlay?

Nvidia GeForce overlay can be disabled. The app offers the option to disable this feature entirely in the settings.

Even so, there is no method to disable overlay for a game. There is a trick to do so, but unfortunately it doesn't always work.

How to disable Nvidia GeForce overlay for all games

If you no longer need the Nvidia GeForce overlay, you can disable this overlay on your system. Keep in mind that this method will completely disable the overlay. You will not be able to use the recording or streaming features.

To disable the Nvidia GeForce overlay, follow these steps:

1. Go to the desktop and move your mouse pointer to the taskbar. Click the arrow icon to show hidden icons.

2. Right click on the Nvidia icon and select Nvidia GeForce Experience from the list.

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3. In the Nvidia GeForce Experience app, find the gear icon in the top bar and click it to enter the settings.

4. Now scroll down and find the In-Game Overlay option. If you see a green toggle next to it, the overlay is active.

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5. Click the green toggle to disable In-Game Overlay on the system.

6. Now close the Nvidia GeForce Experience application. Overlay will no longer work. You can confirm by pressing Alt + Z, the default overlay shortcut.

How to close Nvidia GeForce overlay with keyboard shortcut

You can close or launch the Nvidia GeForce overlay with Alt + Z. If you want a more convenient hotkey, you can change it in the overlay settings.

To change the keyboard shortcut for overlay, do the following:

1. Press Alt + Z to launch the Nvidia GeForce overlay. Hover over the gear icon and click it to open the settings.

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2. Now, scroll down and select the option Keyboard Shortcuts.

3. The shortcut to launch the overlay is the first option in the General section.

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4. Click in the text field and then enter the new key combination you want to use. Before doing that, verify that this combination has not been used for some other feature.

5. Then click Back and exit the overlay. Try your new key combination to check if it launches the overlay.

How to completely uninstall the Nvidia GeForce Experience app

Nvidia GeForce Experience is add-on software that provides the latest game-ready drivers. You also get an overlay feature and the option to automatically optimize the game for your hardware. But you can run games and other GPU-intensive applications without it.

As long as you have installed the Nvidia GPU driver, your GPU should work without problems. So you can remove the Nvidia GeForce Experience application to remove the overlay forever.

To remove Nvidia GeForce Experience, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + I to launch the Settings application. Navigate to the menu on the left and scroll down to find the Apps option.

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2. Click it and then click Installed Apps option.

3. Now, scroll down the list of installed apps and find the Nvidia GeForce Experience app. You can even use the search bar at the top to find apps.

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4. Click the three dots and select the Uninstall option. Windows will reconfirm your decision to uninstall the application. Click the Uninstall button.

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5. Now, wait for the uninstallation to complete. Please restart the system.

Nvidia GeForce Experience has now been removed from your system. You won't have to worry about the overlay feature anymore.

Jessica Tanner

Update 17 April 2023