Windows 11 Privacy Settings: Disable Telemetry, Typing Data, P2P Updates and Personalized Offers

Below is what each mechanism does, what Microsoft says it collects, how to change each setting on Windows 11, and what turning things off does not do.

Diagnostic data: "optional" is not the same as "zero"​

Microsoft splits Windows diagnostic data into two tiers, required and optional.

• Required diagnostic data covers your device, its settings and capabilities, and whether it is working properly. Microsoft calls this the minimum it needs to keep Windows reliable, secure and updated. It includes things like installed apps and drivers, so Microsoft can check whether your PC is ready for the next feature update.
• Optional diagnostic data adds more detail on device health and settings. It can also include websites you browse, device activity (usage), enhanced error reporting, and memory dumps from crashes. Microsoft's support documentation admits those dumps may accidentally contain parts of a file you had open when the crash happened.

Some other details in Microsoft's documentation are worth knowing:

• Diagnostic data is stored with one or more unique identifiers that can help Microsoft recognize an individual user on an individual device.
• If you send optional data, Microsoft says it may combine Windows diagnostic data with data from its other products.
• Microsoft says some optional data is collected only from a small sample of devices.
• Microsoft says your PC stays just as secure and works normally if you send only required data.
• For Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2, Microsoft publishes a detailed list of required diagnostic events and fields. It covers basic device information, quality data, app compatibility and the Microsoft Store.

The forensic research needs a caveat​

MakeUseOf cites a forensic analysis showing that telemetry artifacts can contain hardware identifiers, traces of executed processes and records of external storage connections. That research exists. It is a 2020 paper by Korea University researchers Jaehyeok Han, Jungheum Park, Hyunji Chung and Sangjin Lee.

The important detail is that the paper examined telemetry files (RBS files) stored locally on the PC. It showed what a forensic investigator can recover from a machine. It does not show that every one of those details is uploaded to Microsoft. That is still a real privacy point, because anyone with access to your disk could recover the same data. It is a different claim from "Microsoft receives all of this."

How to turn off optional diagnostic data​

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback.
3. Expand Diagnostic data and turn off Send optional diagnostic data.

On Windows 10, the path is Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so unpatched Windows 10 machines carry bigger risks than telemetry.

What success looks like: the toggle is off and stays off after a restart.

If the toggle is greyed out: you will see "Some settings are hidden or managed by your organization" at the top of the page. A work or school policy controls the device. Administrators can lock this choice with the Group Policy Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds > Configure telemetry opt-in setting user interface, or with the MDM policy ConfigureTelemetryOptInSettingsUx.

Two tools most people never use​

• Diagnostic Data Viewer. Make sure that the Diagnostic data viewer setting is turned On, and then select Diagnostic Data Viewer on the same Diagnostics & feedback page. It is a Microsoft Store app that shows the diagnostic events your device sends. It also shows an icon if your device is part of a sample.
• Delete diagnostic data. This button on the same page has limits. Microsoft says it does not delete diagnostic data tied to your Microsoft account, and it does not stop future data from being sent.

Section summary: Turning off optional diagnostics cuts out the most detailed telemetry, including browsing data and crash dumps. Required diagnostic data keeps flowing.

Typing and handwriting samples: what MakeUseOf got mostly right​

The Improve inking and typing setting surprised the MakeUseOf author the most. In Microsoft's words, if you choose to turn on the Improve inking and typing setting, Microsoft will collect samples of the content you type or write to improve features such as handwriting recognition, autocompletion, next word prediction and spelling correction.

Microsoft also describes how it handles the samples. When Microsoft collects inking and typing diagnostic data, it is divided into small samples and processed to remove unique identifiers, sequencing information, and other data (such as email addresses and numeric values) which could be used to reconstruct the original content or associate the input to you. These are Microsoft's stated practices, and no outside auditor has verified them. Microsoft says the data also includes associated performance data, such as changes you manually make to text, as well as words you've added to the dictionary.

Does turning off optional diagnostics also kill this setting?​

MakeUseOf says turning off optional diagnostic data switches off inking and typing automatically. Help Desk Geek's guide agrees: turning off optional diagnostic data also turns off Improve inking and typing, and Windows may grey out the control because it needs optional diagnostic data.

Microsoft's main support page is more specific about older releases. In some older versions of Windows, the Improve inking and typing option isn't available. In that case, Microsoft says the data is collected when diagnostic data is set to Full. On newer versions, the setting is its own toggle. Check it yourself rather than assume it went off.

Steps on Windows 11​

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback.
2. Expand Improve inking and typing.
3. Turn the Improve inking and typing setting Off.

What success looks like: the toggle shows Off. If it is greyed out and Off, the optional diagnostics setting is controlling it.

What still works: your normal typing tools keep working. According to Help Desk Geek, normal typing, the standard Windows dictionary, and basic spell-check still work. Suggestions may be less accurate for names, technical terms, and rare words.

A related setting: turning these settings off does not clear the personal word list stored on your PC. Quest Review Center notes that clearing it means visiting a separate page, Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization, to turn off the custom word list.

Section summary: The typing data story is real. Microsoft says the samples are anonymized, and current builds make the setting a toggle you can control.

Delivery Optimization: a torrent client with a leash​

Delivery Optimization is how Windows downloads Windows updates, Microsoft Store apps and other Microsoft content. Microsoft's documentation confirms that downloads can come from Microsoft's servers and from other PCs, and that your PC may share parts of its downloads with other PCs.

MakeUseOf calls it "basically a torrent with a fancy new name." That is catchy but a bit overstated. Unlike a typical torrent client, it is limited to Microsoft content, and you choose how much it shares:

1. Go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization.
2. Find Allow downloads from other devices. Some older and managed screens label it "Allow downloads from other PCs."
3. Pick one of these:
   • Off: every update comes straight from Microsoft.
   • On, Devices on my local network: a good choice for a home or office with several PCs, since one download serves the rest without touching the wider internet.
   • On, Devices on the internet and my local network: full peer-to-peer mode.

Turning it off does not stop updates. Microsoft says it just forces the PC to download directly from Microsoft.

Features most people never touch​

• Activity monitor, in the same menu, shows your downloads by source, average speed and upload totals for the current month. Check it before deciding whether your PC is really giving away much bandwidth.
• Bandwidth limits. You can cap download bandwidth as a fixed Mbps figure or as a percentage, cap upload bandwidth, and set a monthly upload limit between 1 and 500 GB.
• The catch: Microsoft says bandwidth limits apply only to automatic update downloads. If you click to update in Settings or install an app from the Store yourself, the limits do not apply.
• Cache cleanup: Windows clears the Delivery Optimization cache automatically. If you need the space now, Disk Cleanup has a Delivery Optimization Files checkbox.

If the toggle is greyed out: your organization requires Delivery Optimization. Many companies use it to save bandwidth across their networks, so check with IT before trying to get around it.

Section summary: Peer sharing is a choice, not a trap. "Local network only" is a sensible middle ground, and the Activity monitor shows you what your PC actually uploads.

Personalized offers: the ad engine, and what it does not use​

Older builds call this control Tailored experiences. Current Windows 11 builds call it Personalized offers. Microsoft says that when it is on, Windows may use your device and usage information, including diagnostic data, together with your account information and data from other Microsoft products. Microsoft lists web activity (if you allowed Edge to collect it), Bing, Microsoft 365, Xbox, MSN, your purchase history, and some data shared by third-party websites. Windows uses all this to show tips, ads and recommendations, such as suggesting OneDrive when your drive is nearly full.

Here MakeUseOf goes too far. It says Windows "can use every piece of information it gathers." Microsoft says it does not use the content of crash dumps, speech, typing or inking input to personalize offers. The typing samples from the previous section do not feed the ads. Quest Review Center made a related point: on the diagnostics page, the Tailored experiences control does not govern typing or handwriting samples, but it uses diagnostic data to shape tips, suggestions and other personalised prompts.

Steps on current Windows 11​

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Personalized offers.
2. Turn off Get personalized tips, ads, and recommendations based on my Windows activity.

MakeUseOf gives the path as Recommendations & offers. Labels vary between builds, and on devices that haven't installed recent updates you may still see Tailored experiences. If you can't find one name, look for the other.

Other toggles under Recommendations & offers​

Microsoft's documentation lists more switches on that page:

• Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID. Turning this off does not reduce the number of ads. They just become less relevant. It also covers only apps that use the Windows advertising ID, not website cookies.
• Let websites show me locally relevant content by accessing my language list.
• Let Windows improve Start and search results by tracking app launches.
• Show me suggested content in the Settings app.

Section summary: Turning off Personalized offers stops your data being used for tips and ads. It does not stop the data being collected.

What no toggle covers​

Microsoft separately documents required service data. This is the data cloud-backed features need to work, such as licensing checks, Find My Device or Windows Backup. Microsoft says it is separate from diagnostic data, so your diagnostic settings do not affect it. Microsoft also says most of it is discarded shortly after use, typically within 48 hours. You can turn off optional features like Find My Device. Essential services such as licensing are mostly controlled by administrators.

For businesses that want to go further, Microsoft publishes guidance on managing connections from Windows components to Microsoft services. It also offers a limited functionality baseline designed to minimize data sent to Microsoft, and Microsoft warns that applying it can break some device features.

The quick checklist​

The bottom line​

MakeUseOf's final argument is that privacy is about choice, not about having something to hide. That point stands. Its sharper lines, like Microsoft using "every piece of information" or updates working "basically" like a torrent, go further than the documentation supports.

Overall, Windows collects a lot by default, and Microsoft documents most of it in detail. Most people never read that documentation. The Diagnostic Data Viewer and Delivery Optimization's Activity monitor show you what is actually leaving your PC, so check those before and after you change anything.