Looking to bolster your data protection without the hassle? You’re in luck. Whether your goal is to quell ad tracking or minimize data sent to Microsoft, we’ve got you covered with five straightforward adjustments.
Simply toggle these settings in Windows 10 or 11, and you’re all set. Access these switches in Windows 11 by clicking on the Windows icon at the bottom left corner, navigating to Settings (the gear icon), and selecting Privacy and Security. Beneath “Change Privacy Options,” you’ll find the following switches:
- Allow apps to display personalized advertising using my advertising ID.
- Allow websites to access their own language list to enable the display of locally relevant content.
- Let Windows improve startup and search results by tracking app launches.
- Show suggested content in the Settings app.
In Windows 10, the settings page is labeled Privacy, but the adjustments remain similar. For each setting, switch to the “Off” option. While you may notice minimal to zero loss of convenience, the gains in data protection are substantial. Microsoft provides insights into the impact of these adjustments.
As for the fifth setting, navigate to Settings, Privacy and Security, Diagnostics and Feedback, and disable “Send Optional Diagnostic Data.” While the pathway may differ slightly in Windows 10, the fundamental approach remains consistent.
