Windows 10 Privacy Settings: What To Turn Off and Why

When Windows 10 was released, it was a forward-thinking operating system that was supposed to learn about your habits to increase productivity and make your life easier. To that end, it collects a significant amount of data about how you use your device by default.

Windows 10 keeps an eye on your typing patterns, app usage, location, voice input, and more. It uses some of this data for performance improvements, some fuels targeted ads, and some is sent to Microsoft whether you opt in or not.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to set your Windows 10 privacy settings to private. If you’re not sure where to start or want to make sure you cover everything, all you have to do is follow this guide.

How To Protect Your Windows 10 Privacy

If you’re wondering where all the privacy settings in Windows 10 are, they’re in the Privacy hub. Most of the setting tweaking will happen here, so here’s how to get there:

1. Type Settings in the Windows search bar and click on the Settings link that appears. 

2. Select Privacy. 

3. Once in, you’ll see a long list of categories on the left side of the window. These include everything from general permissions to specific access for things like your microphone, camera, location, and more.

1. Disable General Permissions You Don’t Need

Before jumping to any other category, you should turn off the general privacy settings in Windows 10. These settings are a huge invasion of your privacy, without much benefit.

Go to the General tab  in the Privacy hub, and disable the following:

• Let apps use advertising ID: This creates a unique profile tied to your device and is used to show you targeted ads across apps. Turning it off resets the ID and prevents new tracking.
• Let Windows track app launches to improve Start and search results: This tells Microsoft how often you use each app and adjusts your search results, so instead of getting the best results, you get what it thinks are the best results based on your behavior.
• Let websites show locally relevant content by accessing my language list: This is minor, but it allows websites to adjust content based on your system settings. You can safely turn this off.
• Show me suggested content in the Settings app: This is basically Microsoft’s way of promoting features you may not use. It adds clutter and sends usage data back to their servers.

Windows 10 doesn’t need any of these settings to run properly. By turning them off, you reduce your exposure to unnecessary data collection without breaking anything important.

2. Turn Off Inking and Typing Personalization

Windows 10 gets to know you by recording your typing history and writing patterns. Its published goal is to create a local user dictionary and predictive text for making more accurate suggestions for you.

This is another way for your personal data to leave your device. If you don’t rely on predictive text or handwriting on your computer, it’s safer to disable it.

Click on the Inking & Typing personalization option in the Privacy hub from the left-hand menu. Then toggle the option off. 

3. Switch Off Location Settings

Location tracking is one of the most invasive default features in Windows 10. It allows your device and the apps you install to collect and store your physical location over time. Of course, there are some apps where you want this enabled, such as weather or maps, but if there’s no logical reason why an app needs your location, it’s better to turn it off.  

To change the default location, go to the Locationtab in the Privacy hub and change the setting to restrict access to location on this device. 

4. Uncheck Activity History and Timeline

Windows 10 includes a feature called Timeline, which helps you keep track of past activities. For example, you might start editing a presentation on your PC, then switch to a laptop later and continue without having to reopen everything manually. Timeline also syncs with Android phones that use the Microsoft Launcher.

To make this feature work across devices, Windows collects and uploads your activity data to Microsoft’s servers. That includes app usage, browsing history, and documents you have accessed.

If that sounds too intrusive, you can turn off syncing and keep your activity history local or disable it entirely. 

From the Privacy Hub, open the Activity History and do the following:

• Uncheck “Store my activity history on this device”: This stops your PC from logging what apps you open and when.
• Under “Show activities from these accounts”: Uncheck all accounts to hide their activities from the timeline.

While Timeline may sound useful in theory, it is rarely used. Disabling it helps reduce data stored on your device and sent to the cloud. For most people, there is no downside to turning this off.

5. Review App Permissions 

Reviewing and limiting what apps can see and gather is a quick way to take back control.

To check, go to Settings and select the Apps options. 

For each app, focus on these areas first:

• Camera and microphone: Unless you regularly use video calls or voice chat, disable access for most apps. Only allow it for tools you trust, like Zoom or Teams.
• Contacts and calendar: Many apps ask for access to your personal data, even if they never use it. Turn off permissions unless you know the app requires it.
• Call history and email: These are rarely needed on a standard PC. Disable access completely unless you use your device for calling or email through built-in apps.
• Other sensitive permissions: Check File System, Messages, and Radios if they appear. Most users can turn these off without noticing any change.

6. Diagnostics and Feedback

Windows 10 collects diagnostic data continuously in the background to improve performance and security. You can decide how much of it Microsoft can collect. 

From the Privacy hub, open Diagnostics and Feedback, and you’ll see two options:

1. Required diagnostic data: This only sends the required information about your device, such as device settings and whether it’s performing up to its standard. 
2. Optional diagnostic data: This sends all the basic diagnostic data along with your browsing history, app usage, the features you use, additional data about the device health, and some extra error reporting. 

If privacy is important, choose the first option. It won’t stop Microsoft from collecting some data, but it greatly reduces the amount of information that’s being sent out. 

7. Use a Local Account Instead of a Microsoft Account

If you use a Microsoft account, Microsoft can track your activity across devices – even if you disable Timeline and restrict other device-related data. This includes settings, browser history, app usage, and even some personal files if OneDrive is enabled. 

For better privacy, it’s best to switch to a local account. This keeps your data on your device and limits background syncing with Microsoft’s servers. To switch:

1. Go to Settings and select Accounts.
2. Click on Your info. 
3. Select Sign in with a local account instead. You will be prompted to create a new username and password. 

Once complete, you will no longer need to sign in with your email address or stay connected to Microsoft’s services unless you choose to.

8. Limit Background Apps

By default, Windows 10 allows many apps to run in the background even when you aren’t using them. These apps can access your internet connection, collect data, send notifications, and drain system resources. For privacy and performance, it’s a good idea to shut most of them down. 

From the Privacy hub, select Background Apps and do the following:

• Turn off “Let apps run in the background”: This is the quickest way to stop all background activity from apps you do not open directly.
• Or disable individual apps one by one: If you prefer more control, scroll through the list and switch off background access for anything you do not need running behind the scenes.

Most users do not need apps like Feedback Hub, Weather, or Xbox Game Bar running in the background. If you aren’t sure about an app, it’s safe to turn it off. You can always turn it back on later if something stops working.

Reducing background activity also limits how much data apps can collect when you are not using them.

9. Control Cortana 

Cortana has been scaled back in recent Windows 10 updates, but significant parts of it still exist in the system. You can disable cloud-based voice input, which is tied to Cortana and some search features.

From the Privacy Hub, go to the Speech section. Open the setting, go to Search permissions, and turn off online speech recognition. 

If Cortana still appears in your system and you want to remove it fully, you can do so using PowerShell or the Group Policy Editor, but most users won’t need to go that far.

10. Reduce Search Permissions

The search bar in the taskbar can also collect and sync your activity across devices. If you want to minimize how much your device listens, learns, or stores, it is worth turning off the remaining features.

To turn off search history on your device, type “Permissions and History”in the Windows search bar to open the search settings. Then toggle the switch off. This stops Windows from remembering your past searches.

In the same tab, scroll down and turn off cloud content search. This prevents Windows Search from accessing your OneDrive, Outlook, or other online Microsoft services.

Shutting down these features helps keep your device from logging your voice, searches, and personal files automatically.

Advanced Privacy Tools and Power User Tips

For users who want more control than Windows settings allow, there are third-party tools and advanced system options that can further reduce tracking. You don’t need these for everyday privacy, but they’re useful if you want to go a step further.

Use the Group Policy Editor

If you have Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, open the Group Policy Editor by typing “gpedit.msc” into the Start menu. From here, you can configure deeper privacy rules, including telemetry, Cortana behavior, and automatic data uploads. It requires caution, but it gives you full system control.

Try O&O ShutUp10 Plus

This free tool lets you adjust Windows 10 privacy settings with a few clicks. It groups settings by risk level and includes quick recommendations for maximum privacy. Make sure to always review each option and back up your system before making major changes.

Edit the Hosts File

Advanced users can block known tracking domains by editing the Windows hosts file. This prevents the system from connecting to specific Microsoft tracking servers. Be careful here, because mistakes or incorrect entries can break important functions.

FAQ