Worried about your privacy in Windows 11? There are plenty of settings you can change to make the operating system less intrusive.
Windows 11 is a great operating system, and the latest Windows 11 Moment 3 update brings lots of small tweaks, like the option to add seconds to the clock in the Taskbar and even copy 2FA codes when using the Phone Link app. That’s on top of the already great features like Snap Layouts for added multitasking and the option to run Android apps. We understand that your privacy might be a concern with Windows 11, though. Thankfully, there are a few Windows 11 settings you can tweak to make the operating system more private.
How to make Windows 11 more private: The basics
The key to making Windows 11 more private involves heading to the Privacy and security settings section to tweak a lot of different options and permissions that will cut back on the data Windows 11 pulls about you. Though it isn’t easy, we also suggest not using a Microsoft account in Windows 11 if you really care about privacy. Otherwise, you can tweak the settings below to make Windows more private right after your installation.
Tone down the Personalization options
We start with the options you’ll see under Windows Permissions and General. From here, we suggest turning off toggles for the following: Let apps show me personalized ads; Let websites show me locally relevant content; Let Windows improve Start and Search; Show me suggested content in the Settings app.
Turning these settings off will reduce the chance that Windows and apps will show you ads based on the content you’re browsing. If you’re bilingual, it’ll also help to reduce ads and other content based on the language you’ve selected to use in Windows. Finally, setting sliders to off for the Start, search, and suggested content options reduces the chance that Windows will track which apps and files you’re using the most often.
Change your speech and typing settings
Next up, under Speech, we suggest turning off the toggles for online speech recognition. Disabling this option reduces the chance that Microsoft can track or collect data about your voice and use it to help improve speech recognition services with its products. If you disable this option, you’ll still be able to use the Windows Speech Recognition app and other speech services, as long as they’re not from Microsoft.
Reduce your Inking and typing personalization
Under Inking and typing experience, you can untoggle the custom inking and typing dictionary. When you turn this setting option off, Microsoft won’t have access to your typing history or handwriting inputs to create a more personal dictionary for you. This usually helps reduce typos and other mistakes you might make in apps like Microsoft Edge and other system apps. Turning this off could impact the suggestions you see in autocorrect.
Tweak diagnostic and feedback settings
In this settings area, you’ll want to choose Diagnostics and Feedback. Make sure the toggles for Send optional diagnostic data, Improve inking and typing, and Tailored experiences are all off. Changing these settings reduces the information Microsoft collects about the way you use your PC. Typically, this is only information to keep your device and OS running securely and updated, but if you’re uncomfortable, you can fully turn it off. This ensures Microsoft doesn’t learn about how you use your PC.
Turn off activity history
In the next settings section, choose Activity History. Turn off the toggle switch for storing your activity history. When you turn this off, the information about websites you visit and the apps you launch won’t be stored on your device. It also won’t be uploaded to your Microsoft Account. Usually, this information just improves the way you use your device.
Change your search permissions
As we continue to roll along, in this section, you’ll want to choose Search Permissions. From here, turn off all the switches for Cloud Content Search, History, and Search highlights. Again like a lot of things we’ve gone through so far, this setting helps reduce the personalization on Windows. If you use it, you won’t see documents from places like OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, or even Bing and other Microsoft services. Turning off the search history, meanwhile, will stop Windows from storing what you’ve searched for locally, like a specific file or document. We also know that not everyone is a fan of the new animated and illustrated icon on the search bar on the Taskbar, and learning off search highlights removes this.
Change your remaining app-related settings
Finally, we come to the app-related settings in Windows. Under App Permissions, select Location and turn off location services. Your PC will no longer track your exact location based on your IP Address. Additionally, under the Settings app, choose Apps and Advanced App settings and turn off sharing across devices. Your app data will no longer be uploaded to Microsoft’s cloud.
Capping things out, under the Settings app, choose Account and Windows Backup, and turn off all options. None of the data you have stored, like specific apps or your system settings, will be synced using your Microsoft Account. Again, your data will no longer be uploaded to the cloud.
By following these steps, you’ll have reduced the amount of data that Windows 11 collects from you. If you’ve opted to use Windows with a Microsoft Account, you have additionally full control of the data that Microsoft might have collected. Just go to the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. From here, you can visit each of the sections under Manage your activity data and delete all the activity. We also suggest that you turn off the personalized ad settings to see ads that interest you and share my data with third parties. A little extra work goes a long way in protecting your privacy.