How to Turn Off All Windows 11 Tracking Settings

How to Turn Off All Windows 11 Tracking Settings: A Comprehensive Guide

If you recently upgraded to Windows 11, you might not know that this new version of the OS has numerous tracking features, which collect data on your usage. Although the data collected fail to harm or share sensitive information, many of us still prefer our gadgets to be personalized and private. Thus, disabling these tracking settings provides peace of mind, knowing your usage stays solely with you.

In this article, we provide a comprehensive and simplified tutorial on how to turn off all tracking settings on your Windows 11 computer.

Disabling Location Tracking

Windows 11 may be tracking your device's location, even when you are not using it. To turn off the location tracking:

• Open your Windows Settings by pressing Windows key + I

• Click "Privacy & Security"

• Click "Location"

• Turn off the "Location Service" switch

Switching off Advertising ID

The Advertising ID on Windows 11 helps Microsoft deliver personalized ads to you. To disable it:

• Open your Windows Settings

• Click "Privacy & Security"

• Find and click "General"

• Turn off the "Let apps use advertising ID.." option

Stop Windows from Tracking Your Activities

Activity tracking helps Windows to learn your behaviours with the computer. Here's how to turn it off:

• Open the Windows Settings

• Click on "Privacy & Security"

• Under "Windows permissions", click on "Activity history"

• Deselect the "Store my activity history on this device" checkbox

Disable Diagnostic Data Collection

Windows 11 collects diagnostic data to fix issues and improve future performance. To turn it off:

• Go to your Windows settings

• Click on "Privacy & Security"

• Find and click “Diagnostics & feedback”

• Select “Required Diagnostic data”

Disable Tailored Experiences

Windows uses your computer's data to tailor your user experiences. Here's how to disable it:

• Open Windows Settings

• Find “Privacy & Security” and click on it

• Find and click on “Diagnostics & feedback”

• Select “Improve inking & typing” and turn it off

Turn off App Permissions

Windows 11 allows apps to access your camera, microphone, etc. You can disable these permissions by the following steps:

• Open Windows Settings

• Click on "Privacy & Security"

• Click on "App permissions"

• Turn off each switch for every app you want to disable from accessing your device's peripherals

By following these steps, you can significantly reduce the amount of tracking done by Windows 11 on your device. Please keep in mind that switching off these settings might affect your personalized experience and the OS functionalities. Lastly, remember to update your Windows regularly to stay protected from malware and cyber threats.

Note: The steps may vary slightly based on your region and the specific build of Windows 11 that you're running.