Windows 11 collects a surprising amount of information about how you use your PC. Microsoft bundles this data into diagnostic reports, activity history, and tailored advertising profiles. While the company frames these features as ways to improve your experience, they often feel like unnecessary surveillance. You can disable most of these tracking mechanisms directly through the Settings app without installing third-party software.
Before You Start: This guide assumes you are running Windows 11 Home or Pro with the latest updates installed. You will need administrator access to change privacy and diagnostic settings. If you are on a work-managed device, your IT department may lock certain options.
Step 1: Reduce Diagnostic Data Collection
Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback. You will see a dropdown menu labeled Diagnostics & feedback data. Change this setting from Send optional diagnostic data to Send required diagnostic data only. Windows will immediately stop transmitting detailed usage logs, crash dumps, and browsing habits to Microsoft. You will still receive basic error reports that help fix critical bugs, but the extensive telemetry pipeline will close. If the dropdown refuses to change, restart your PC and try again, or check that no Group Policy is forcing the higher setting.
Step 2: Disable Activity History
Open Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history. Uncheck the box next to Let Windows collect my activities from this PC. You should also uncheck Let Windows sync my activity history if it appears. This action cuts off the continuous log that Microsoft uses to build a timeline of your opened files, visited websites, and running apps. Your device will stop uploading this history to the cloud, which means you will lose the ability to see your recent tasks on other signed-in devices. If the toggle grays out, sign out of your Microsoft account and switch to a local account temporarily to unlock the option.
Step 3: Reset Your Advertising ID
Go to Settings > Privacy & security > General. Locate the Reset advertising ID button and click it. Confirm the prompt when Windows asks you to verify the action. This ID is a unique identifier that advertisers and Microsoft use to serve you personalized ads across apps and the web. Resetting it forces apps to generate a fresh identifier, breaking the link between your past browsing behavior and your current ad profile. You can also toggle Let apps use my advertising ID to Off to prevent future collection entirely.
Step 4: Turn Off Tailored Experiences
Stay in Settings > Privacy & security > General. Find the option labeled Show me tailored experiences by using my diagnostic data and switch it to Off. Tailored experiences analyze your diagnostic reports to suggest tips, ads, and features that Microsoft assumes you want. Disabling this option stops the algorithm from personalizing your Start menu, search results, and notification center based on your usage patterns. You will still see default Windows content, but it will no longer adapt to your specific habits.
Step 5: Restrict Search and Cortana Permissions
Open Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions. Under the Cloud content section, set Search Windows to find settings to On this device only. Scroll down to Find my files and choose On this device only as well. Windows Search historically sent query logs to Microsoft to improve web results and file indexing. Forcing local-only processing keeps your search queries confined to your hardware. If you previously relied on web results inside the Start menu, you will need to open your browser manually for those searches.
Step 6: Block Background App Activity
Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security > Background apps. Toggle Let apps run in the background to Off at the top, or selectively disable background access for specific apps below. Many preinstalled Windows apps continue to ping Microsoft servers even when you are not actively using them. Cutting off background activity stops these silent data uploads and reduces battery drain. You can re-enable background access for apps you actually need, like email or cloud storage sync tools, by toggling their individual switches.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Settings revert after a Windows update. Microsoft occasionally rolls out feature updates that reset privacy preferences to their defaults. If you notice your diagnostic data collection returning after an update, reopen the Diagnositics & feedback page and reapply your preferred setting. Consider creating a system restore point before major updates so you can roll back if the changes cause instability.
Group Policy blocks your changes. If you see a message stating that your organization manages some settings, your device is likely enrolled in a corporate or school management profile. You will need to contact your IT administrator to adjust the privacy baseline, or you can remove the device from the management profile if it is personally owned. Advanced users can manually edit the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection to override forced telemetry, but this carries a risk of breaking system updates.
Third-party privacy tools conflict with manual settings. If you previously installed tools like O&O ShutUp10 or WPD, running manual settings adjustments can cause unexpected behavior. Disable or uninstall those utilities before applying the steps in this guide. Once you have finished configuring Windows natively, you can reinstall the tool if you still want an extra layer of control.
Pro Tip: Switch to a local account instead of a Microsoft account. You can do this by going to Settings > Accounts > Your info and selecting Sign in with a local account instead. Local accounts do not sync activity history to the cloud and drastically reduce the amount of personal data Microsoft collects by default.
Implementing these changes takes a few minutes, but the long-term privacy benefits are substantial. You will notice fewer personalized ads, reduced background network activity, and a clearer conscience about what leaves your machine. Windows 11 will continue to function normally, and you will still receive critical security patches and driver updates. Regularly review the Privacy & security dashboard after major updates to ensure your preferences remain intact. Your data belongs to you, and configuring these settings is the most effective way to keep it that way.
Over to you: What privacy setting surprised you the most when you finally turned it off?
