Windows 11 collects a surprising amount of data by default. From disabling invasive telemetry to hardening your system’s security settings, this guide shows you how to take back control of your privacy.
Windows 11 is a powerful OS, but it’s also a data-hungry one. If you want to stop the background telemetry and lock down your digital footprint, this is your step-by-step blueprint.
Phase 1: The "Privacy Dashboard" Cleanup
The first step is addressing the built-in settings Windows 11 provides. Many of these are enabled by default for "convenience," but they come at the cost of your privacy.
- Go to Settings > Privacy & security.
- General: Toggle everything to "Off." This prevents apps from using your advertising ID and tracking your launches.
- Speech & Inking: Turn off "Online speech recognition."
- Diagnostics & feedback: Set this to "Required diagnostic data" only, and turn off "Improve inking & typing."
Phase 2: Disabling "Activity History"
Windows likes to remember what you’ve been doing across your devices. While it's helpful for syncing, it’s also a privacy liability.
- Navigate to Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history.
- Uncheck "Store my activity history on this device".
- Click Clear to wipe the history currently stored on your machine.
Phase 3: Hardening Security Features
Now that we’ve dialed back the telemetry, let's strengthen the actual security of your installation.
1. Enable Core Isolation (Memory Integrity)
This prevents malicious code from injecting into high-security processes. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details and ensure Memory integrity is On.
2. Controlled Folder Access
This is your best defense against ransomware. It prevents unauthorized apps from modifying your files. Go to Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Manage ransomware protection > Controlled folder access and turn it On.
Phase 4: Advanced Telemetry Suppression
For those who want to go deeper, we can disable the "Connected User Experiences and Telemetry" service, which handles most of the background data reporting.
Warning: Use this only if you understand that some minor system features may rely on these services.
sc delete DiagTrack sc delete dmwappushservice
After running these in an Admin Command Prompt, your Windows installation will stop sending the bulk of its usage telemetry to Microsoft.