It’s well known that Windows 11 includes a slew of features that can be problematic from a privacy perspective. Microsoft is collecting a variety of personal data from Windows 11 users, from location data to app usage to browsing history (if you’re using Microsoft Edge). The good news is that you can disable most of the privacy-invading Windows 11 features in a jiffy.
Copilot
Copilot can access all kinds of sensitive data
Copilot might be handy, but it’s anything but privacy-conscious. Due to its system-wide integration, it can potentially access sensitive data. All it takes is using it within one of the apps it’s integrated into, which includes most Microsoft 365 apps such as Word and Excel, the Microsoft Edge browser, Notepad, and OneNote. Then there’s Gaming Copilot, where Microsoft may use your chat data to train and improve its AI models.
Getting rid of Copilot isn’t exactly straightforward, but it can be done. If you want to remove it system-wide, we’ve got an in-depth step-by-step guide for doing just that. If you’d rather only disable it within Microsoft 365 apps, we’ve got you covered as well.
To opt-out of using your data for Gaming Copilot AI training, open the Game Bar, switch to the Gaming Copilot tab, click on the Settings button, and then open Privacy settings. Once there, disable all three toggles and delete your Gaming Copilot memory and history.
Windows Recall
A Windows 11 feature that can record everything you do on your PC
Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek | Microsoft | brain_fix/Shutterstock
When it was first announced, Windows Recall was widely criticized as a privacy nightmare—for good reason. The feature was designed to capture snapshots of your activity and store them locally without encrypting them, which sounds wild but is true.
Microsoft did overhaul Recall, and now the app does encrypt stored data and requires authentication (such as Windows Hello) to access it, but Windows Recall can still collect tons of sensitive data while you’re using your PC. You can prevent Recall from recording activity while you’re using specific apps and websites, or fully disable it if you prefer. Good thing Recall is only available on Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft has lost the plot: 5 Windows “features” nobody asked for
Microsoft tends to bring in features for Windows that people don’t want, like Recall, recommendations, the Copilot key, and more.
Windows recommendations and offers
Personalized ads and data harvesting
Windows 11 is filled with ads. You can find them in the Start menu, Microsoft Store, lock screen, Settings app, and even in File Explorer. Not only does Microsoft bombard you with ads, but it also collects various data to tailor them based on your usage habits, app activity, and interactions with the operating system.
You can disable ads, your advertising ID, and data collection in the Settings menu relatively easily. It will take a while, though, because the toggles are scattered all around the Settings menu. We’ve got a guide that walks you through the process, just be ready for a fair bit of clicking.
Location Data
Do you really want to share your location data with Microsoft?
Find My Device, which relies on precise location data, is a genuinely useful feature that can help you recover a lost or stolen Windows device. But if you have a desktop PC, or simply don’t want to share your location with Microsoft, you can disable it.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location, and toggle the Location services switch off. Alternatively, you can allow Windows to access your precise location needed for Find My Device to work, but prevent apps from accessing it by disabling individual app toggles listed below the Location services switch.
Clipboard history cloud sync
You can leak a ton of sensitive data if you don’t disable this feature
Clipboard history is another very useful Windows 11 feature, but one part of it isn’t exactly privacy-conscious. The cloud sync feature syncs your clipboard history across every Windows device you’re using, which sounds convenient, but it also means that every single thing you copy, including credit card and other sensitive data, may get uploaded to Microsoft servers and made available on all your Windows devices. Doesn’t sound very privacy-friendly, right?
To turn off cloud sync for Clipboard history, open Settings, go to System > Clipboard, and disable the Clipboard history toggle. If you want to continue using the feature but manually decide which text to sync, select the option to manually sync copied text.
Inking & typing personalization
A feature that analyzes what you type might not sit well with privacy-conscious users
Inking & typing personalization collects samples of what you type, write, or dictate and then sends that data to Microsoft servers so that the company can analyze it and refine its language models and personalization features. Microsoft states that it collects “Samples of the content you type, write, or dictate on the device,” as well as “details about the voice, inking, and typing input features on the device,” which doesn’t sound very reassuring if you ask me.
To prevent Microsoft from collecting typing data, the first step is to disable inking and typing personalization, which includes the custom dictionary built from your typing and handwriting (if you’re using a touchscreen device). Open the Settings app, go to Privacy & Security > Inking & typing personalization, and disable the custom dictionary. The next step is to disable optional diagnostic data related to typing and writing. Open Privacy & Security > Diagnostic & feedback, and then toggle off the Improve inking and typing option.
Optional diagnostic data
Prevent Microsoft from collecting more data than necessary
Windows 11 collects required diagnostic data, such as your machine’s specs, Windows version, error and crash reports, and similar information needed to keep your system up to date and secure. But there’s also optional diagnostic data that can include websites you visit and your app and feature usage habits.
You can disable optional diagnostic data by opening the Settings app, going to Privacy & Security > Diagnostic & feedback, and disabling the Send optional data slider. While you’re there, also make sure to delete diagnostic data Microsoft has collected from your machine.
You should also delete the data stored in your online privacy dashboard
If you use a Microsoft account, you can access your online privacy dashboard, which may contain loads of personal data Microsoft has collected from your Windows devices. This can include location data, app usage history, search activity (if you use Bing or Edge), and data tied to features like Copilot. Luckily, you can delete most of that data in just a few clicks, which I wholeheartedly recommend.
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OnlyOffice is a Microsoft Office suite alternative that you can self-host, letting you keep your work private and secure.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
