Windows 11 records diagnostic information, including your operating system version, which apps you have installed, and what processor you’re using. It collects more data than this by default, but users can opt out if they’d like.
This post is for anyone who prioritizes privacy and will reveal what info you’re sharing with Microsoft. I’ll also explain how to revoke consent and stop your data being shared with Copilot and Bing.
What data does Windows 11 collect and can I stop it?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to completely prevent Windows 11 from collecting data unless you’re an Enterprise customer. It’ll always record some information, including your operating system version, CPU information, and the apps you have installed. This is required for apps and services to work correctly, after all.
That said, it’s possible to limit how much information Windows has by opting out of all optional data collection. Before you begin, note that opting out means some services may not work as expected. For instance, turning off location services means Windows can’t see where you are, but neither can any of your apps.
To minimize the amount of data that Microsoft collects, open the Settings menu and click Privacy & security. Next, move through each category, disabling the following features:
- Recommendations & offers: Personalized offers, Improve Start and search results, Recommendations and offers in Settings, and Advertising ID.
- Speech: Online speech recognition
- Inking and typing personalization: Customized inking and typing dictionary.
- Diagnostics & feedback: Send optional diagnostic data, Improve inking and typing. Set Feedback frequency to Never.
- Activity history: Store my activity on this device
- Search permissions: Cloud content search, Search history on this device, Show search highlights
It’s important to recognize that this only prevents Windows itself from logging extra information. However, Microsoft uses its expansive ecosystem to gather and cross-reference a huge amount of personal data. If you’re concerned about anonymity, I’d suggest disabling most features on Microsoft’s privacy dashboard and avoiding Microsoft services like Bing, OneDrive, and Copilot.
How privacy-conscious is Windows 11, really?
Windows isn’t inherently bad for privacy, but it collects a lot of data and sharing is enabled by default. In contrast, macOS users actively have to opt into sharing the same kind of data. Linux, meanwhile, is a whole different beast, with entire distros dedicated to anonymity.
Unfortunately, Microsoft’s business model revolves around personalization and recommendation. It’s hard to feel that you’re using a privacy-conscious operating system when the menu is full of ads and it actively tries to prevent you from installing a different browser. This creates a strange situation wherein Windows seems more invasive than it actually is. Let’s dive into it.
How much information does Windows 11 collect?
Microsoft’s website does tell you what data collection is mandatory. That said, specifics about optional data collection are hidden on a separate page that’s much denser and harder to parse.
Below, you’ll find a guide to all of the information stored in the Home and editions of Windows 11 and Windows 10 (versions 1903+). Windows 11 Enterprise, meanwhile, can completely disable all telemetry by turning off Allow Diagnostic Data in the Local Group Policy Editor. Note that the table below doesn’t account for data gathered via other Microsoft services like Bing or Copilot.
| Information | This includes | Category | Opting out possible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device connectivity and configuration data | CPU type, RAM attributes, OEM manufacturer, network and peripherals data | Required diagnostic data | No |
| Product and service performance data | Error reporting data, info about the operating system’s general health | Required diagnostic data | No |
| Software setup and inventory data | OS version, which updates and apps are installed, which drivers are on the device | Required diagnostic data | No |
| Essential service data | Anything needed to provide required services like license key activation, networking, and authentication | Required service data | No |
| Browsing data | Browsing history, search history, autocompleted text from all Microsoft browsers | Optional data | Yes |
| Connectivity and configuration data | OS version, CPU make and model, BIOS version, storage capacity, battery level, chassis type, virtualization status | Optional data | Yes |
| Inking, typing, and speech data | Samples of whatever you type, write, or dictate. Type of pen used, app IDs, whether user is a child, and language settings | Optional data | Yes |
| Product performance data | Error logs, suspected DLL file responsible for error, various system settings including registry keys, user-generated files that may have caused errors, crash logs and history | Optional data | Yes |
| Product usage data | Which apps you use, how you interact with them, how often, duration of sessions, call records, in-app search histories, and notification requests | Optional data | Yes |
| Software setup data | Installed apps, install dates, directories, packages and product codes, installation type | Optional data | Yes |
Can I view diagnostic logs in Windows 11?
Yes, Windows users can view all of the information that’s collected by Microsoft. To begin, open the menu and search for “View your diagnostic data”, then hit Enter. Click the button labeled Turn on the Diagnostic Data Viewer, then Open Diagnostic Data Viewer. You’ll be taken to the Microsoft Store to install the app. Once downloaded, it should open automatically.
In fairness, viewing these logs probably won’t help you much. They mostly contain details of crashes and program faults, with lots of encoded information. Still, I didn’t see anything that caused concern: Microsoft isn’t sending your login details, personal info, or anything sensitive.
Is Microsoft Copilot secure and private?
Microsoft previously offered Cortana, an “intelligent” personal assistant that behaved similarly to Siri or Alexa. Now, it’s all about Copilot, which runs on OpenAI services just like ChatGPT. The problem is OpenAI doesn’t prioritize privacy (or copyright, the environment, users’ mental wellbeing… the list goes on). So what info does Microsoft Copilot collect?
- User prompts and the responses to those prompts
- Metadata including timestamps and user IDs
- Audit and compliance logs
That’s a fairly restrained amount of data. However, Copilot does use your conversations for training unless you opt out. To do this, open the Copilot app, click your profile photo, and hit Settings. From here, select Privacy and disable Training on conversation activity and Training on voice conversations.
As always, it’s important to be careful about what you share with LLMs. Don’t provide any personal information like login credentials, bank details, or contact info. Take everything Copilot says with a grain of salt: it’s frequently wrong and cannot take responsibility for damage caused.
Final thoughts
Windows 11 could do a better job on privacy, but it’s not as invasive as some people like to believe. I’d recommend disabling optional telemetry if you’re concerned about anonymity, but even with this enabled, you’re still pretty private.
It’s understandable if you don’t trust Microsoft, though: the company previously left 250 million support conversations online for anyone to read. If you’re interested in enhancing your privacy, read our guides to deleting your digital footprint and understanding what companies mean by “aggregated data”.