Stop Windows 11 Spying: Privacy Settings Guide

Windows 11 collects telemetry, activity history, and advertising data by default, which many users consider invasive. This guide walks you through the built-in settings and tools you can use to minimize what Microsoft gathers about you, without needing third-party software. You’ll need a Windows 11 PC with administrator access, and about 15–20 minutes to complete all steps.

What You’ll Need

A Windows 11 PC with administrator privileges
Internet connection (to apply some settings)
Optional: a local account instead of a Microsoft account (explained in Step 5)

Step-by-Step

Open Privacy Settings. Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Privacy & security. This is the main hub for all data collection options.
Turn off general diagnostics data. In Privacy & security, click Diagnostics & feedback. Under “Diagnostic data,” select Required diagnostic data (or “Send required diagnostic data” on some builds). This stops Microsoft from collecting detailed usage data. Also toggle off Improve inking and typing and Tailored experiences if present.
Disable activity history. Still in Diagnostics & feedback, scroll to Activity history. Uncheck Store my activity history on this device and Send my activity history to Microsoft. Then click Clear activity history to delete what’s already stored.
Turn off advertising ID. Go to Privacy & security > General. Toggle off Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID. Also turn off Let websites show me locally relevant content and Let Windows track app launches if you don’t want those features.
Review per-app permissions. Under Privacy & security, go through each category: Location, Camera, Microphone, Notifications, Contacts, Calendar, Call history, Email, Tasks, Messaging, Radios, Other devices, and App diagnostics. For each, toggle off Allow apps to access if you don’t need it. Be careful with Location – turning it off may affect apps like Maps or Find My Device.
Disable feedback requests. In Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback, set Feedback frequency to Never. This stops Windows from asking you for feedback.
Turn off tailored experiences. In the same Diagnostics & feedback page, toggle off Tailored experiences if it appears. This prevents Microsoft from using your diagnostic data to personalize tips and ads.
Disable Find My Device (if you don’t need it). Go to Privacy & security > Find My Device. Toggle it off. This stops Windows from periodically sending your device’s location to Microsoft.
Use a local account. If you’re using a Microsoft account, Windows syncs settings and activity across devices. To reduce that, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and click Sign in with a local account instead. Follow the prompts. This stops cloud sync of your settings and activity, though you’ll lose some conveniences like OneDrive integration.
Block telemetry via Group Policy (Pro/Enterprise only). If you have Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds. Double-click Allow telemetry, set it to Enabled, and choose Security (or 0). Click OK. This turns off all non-essential telemetry.
Block telemetry via registry (Home edition). If you have Windows 11 Home, press Win + R, type regedit, and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection. If the DataCollection key doesn’t exist, right-click Windows, select New > Key, and name it DataCollection. Inside it, create a DWORD (32-bit) named AllowTelemetry and set its value to 0. Restart your PC.
Disable Cortana and search history. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Speech and toggle off Online speech recognition. Also go to Settings > Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization and turn it off. To disable Cortana entirely, press Win + R, type gpedit.msc (Pro) or use registry (Home), but a simpler way is to right-click the Cortana icon in the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar. Cortana still runs in the background, but you can stop it via Task Manager (see Troubleshooting).
Review Start menu and search settings. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions. Toggle off Cloud content search and Search history on this device if you don’t want Windows to store your searches locally or send them to Microsoft.
Disable delivery optimization (P2P updates). Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization. Toggle off Allow downloads from other PCs. This stops your PC from acting as a peer for Windows updates, which can upload data to other computers.
Use a firewall or hosts file (advanced). For extra blocking, you can add known Microsoft telemetry domains to your hosts file (e.g., vortex.data.microsoft.com, settings-win.data.microsoft.com). Open Notepad as administrator, edit C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts, add lines like 0.0.0.0 vortex.data.microsoft.com, and save. Be careful: this can break some Windows features. A more reliable method is to use a third-party firewall (like a simple rule in Windows Defender Firewall) to block outbound connections from CompatTelRunner.exe, dmclient.exe, and sihost.exe.

Common Mistakes

Not restarting after changes. Some settings (especially registry changes) only take effect after a reboot.
Disabling everything blindly. Turning off Location can break Find My Device, Maps, and weather apps. Disabling Microphone may affect voice assistants.
Forgetting to clear existing data. Simply toggling off activity history doesn’t delete what’s already stored. You must click “Clear activity history” as in Step 3.
Using a Microsoft account. Even with all settings off, a Microsoft account syncs some data. Switching to a local account is the most effective step.
Editing the registry incorrectly. A typo in the registry can cause errors. Always back up the registry before making changes (right-click the key and select Export).

Tips

Do this after a fresh install. If you’re setting up a new PC, go through these steps before installing apps – it’s easier to keep data minimal from the start.
Use the “Privacy” page during setup. When installing Windows 11, choose “Privacy settings” and turn off all toggles (Location, Find My Device, Diagnostic data, etc.) before you reach the desktop.
Check your Microsoft account privacy dashboard. Even after local changes, your Microsoft account may still collect data online. Visit account.microsoft.com/privacy to review and clear activity data.
Consider using a third-party tool like O&O ShutUp10++ (free, portable) that automates many of these tweaks. However, always review what it changes – some settings may affect functionality.
Keep Windows Update enabled. Disabling telemetry does not disable security updates. Don’t block Windows Update entirely, as that leaves you vulnerable.

Troubleshooting

Settings revert after a Windows update. Microsoft occasionally resets some privacy settings during feature updates. Re-check your settings after major updates.
Group Policy missing. If gpedit.msc isn’t found, you’re on Home edition. Use the registry method (Step 11) instead.
Registry changes don’t stick. Make sure you’re editing the correct key and that you restarted. Also, some security software may revert registry changes; temporarily disable it, apply the change, then re-enable.
Apps stop working after disabling permissions. Re-enable the specific permission for that app. For example, if the Camera app shows a black screen, go to Privacy & security > Camera and allow access for that app.
Telemetry still appears in Task Manager. Some processes like CompatTelRunner.exe may still run. Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to end them, but they may restart. To permanently block, add a firewall rule to block outbound connections for those executables.
Can’t switch to local account. If the option is greyed out, you might be signed in with a work/school account. You’ll need to remove that account first, or contact your IT admin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does turning off diagnostics completely stop all data collection?
A: No, Windows still sends “required diagnostic data” (basic device info like hardware IDs and crash reports) unless you use Group Policy or registry to set telemetry to 0 (Security level). Even then, some basic data may be sent for security purposes.

Q: Will these changes affect Windows updates?
A: No, disabling telemetry or advertising ID does not block security updates. You should keep Windows Update enabled to receive patches.

Q: Can I use a third-party tool instead of doing this manually?
A: Yes, tools like O&O ShutUp10++ or W10Privacy can automate many of these tweaks. They are free and portable, but always review what they change and create a system restore point first.

Q: Is it safe to delete the DataCollection registry key?
A: No, don’t delete the key; just set the AllowTelemetry DWORD to 0. Deleting the key may cause Windows to recreate it with default values.

Q: Why is my location still being used after I turned it off?
A: Some system services (like Find My Device) have their own location settings. Also, apps that have previously been granted location access may still use it until you revoke it in the app’s own settings.

Q: Will using a local account break OneDrive or Microsoft Store apps?
A: You can still use OneDrive with a local account by entering your Microsoft credentials when prompted. Some Store apps may require you to sign in, but most work fine. You’ll lose automatic sync of settings and some personalization across devices.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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