Ultimate Guide to Enhancing Privacy in Windows 11: Essential Settings To Adjust

Windows 11, Microsoft's latest operating system, introduces a suite of features designed to enhance user experience. However, many of these features come with default settings that may compromise user privacy. To safeguard personal data, it's essential to proactively adjust these settings.

Disabling Personalized Advertising​

Windows 11 assigns a unique advertising ID to each user, enabling apps to deliver personalized ads based on usage patterns. To prevent this data collection:

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > General.
• Toggle off "Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID."

This action will reduce targeted advertising, though generic ads may still appear. (computerworld.com)

Limiting Diagnostic Data Sharing​

Microsoft collects diagnostic data to improve system performance. To minimize the data sent:

• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostics & Feedback.
• Disable "Send optional diagnostic data."
• Turn off "Improve inking and typing" and "Tailored experiences."

This reduces the amount of data shared with Microsoft. (computerworld.com)

Managing Location Tracking​

Location services can be useful but may infringe on privacy. To control this:

• Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location.
• Toggle off "Location services."

Alternatively, you can disable location access for specific apps while keeping the service on for others. (computerworld.com)

Controlling App Permissions​

Apps may request access to sensitive data. To review and adjust these permissions:

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security.
• Under App permissions, select categories like Camera, Microphone, or Contacts.
• Toggle off access for apps that don't require it.

Regularly auditing these permissions helps maintain privacy. (computerworld.com)

Switching to a Local Account​

Using a Microsoft account syncs data across devices but may share more information than desired. To switch to a local account:

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info.
• Click "Sign in with a local account instead."
• Follow the prompts to create a local account.

This change keeps data stored locally, enhancing privacy. (computerworld.com)

Disabling Activity History​

Windows 11 tracks user activity to provide personalized experiences. To disable this:

• Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Activity history.
• Uncheck "Store my activity history on this device."
• Click "Clear" to delete existing activity history.

This prevents Windows from logging your activities. (computerworld.com)

Managing Camera and Microphone Access​

To prevent unauthorized access to your camera and microphone:

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security.
• Select Camera or Microphone under App permissions.
• Toggle off access for apps that don't require it.

This ensures only trusted apps can use these devices. (computerworld.com)

Disabling Online Speech Recognition​

If you don't use voice features, disable online speech recognition:

• Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Speech.
• Toggle off "Online speech recognition."

This prevents voice data from being sent to Microsoft. (computerworld.com)

Managing Clipboard History​

To prevent sensitive data from being stored in clipboard history:

• Open Settings > System > Clipboard.
• Toggle off "Clipboard history."

This stops Windows from saving copied items. (tomsguide.com)

Disabling Network Discovery​

To prevent your device from being visible on networks:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings.
• Toggle off "Network discovery" and "File and printer sharing."

This enhances security, especially on public networks. (tomsguide.com)

Disabling Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop​

To prevent unauthorized remote access:

• Navigate to Settings > System > Remote Desktop.
• Toggle off "Remote Desktop."

Additionally:

• Go to Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings.
• In the Remote tab, uncheck "Allow Remote Assistance connections to this computer."

This reduces the risk of remote attacks. (tomsguide.com)

Managing Background Apps​

To prevent apps from running in the background unnecessarily:

• Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
• Select an app, click "Advanced options," and choose "Never" under "Background apps permissions."

This conserves system resources and enhances privacy. (tomsguide.com)

Disabling Automatic Connection to Public Networks​

To prevent automatic connection to potentially unsafe networks:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
• Select a network and uncheck "Connect automatically when in range."

This ensures manual connection to trusted networks only. (tomsguide.com)
By proactively adjusting these settings, users can significantly enhance their privacy and security on Windows 11.

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Source: Nemasket Week Windows 11 Won’t Respect Your Privacy Until You Make Some Changes
Source: Nemasket Week Windows 11 Won’t Respect Your Privacy Until You Make Some Changes