How to Block App Access to Account Info in Windows 11 Privacy Settings
Account info access in Windows 11 controls which apps can see your username, profile picture, and contact details. Email and calendar tools need this information to work. Many games and utilities ask for it as soon as you install them, and most people click through the prompt without reading it.
The setting lives in Settings Privacy & security Account info. You can block everything at once, or block only the apps you do not trust and leave the rest alone. The steps are the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro, and no restart is needed.
Open Settings, click Privacy & security in the left menu, scroll to App permissions and click Account info, then toggle the main Account info access switch to Off. This blocks all apps from reading your username, profile picture, and contact details with no restart required.
How to Open Privacy and Security Settings in 🪟 Windows 11
The fastest way into the privacy controls is the keyboard. Press the Win and I together to open the Settings app. Then click the Privacy & security tab in the left sidebar, where all your personal data controls are kept.
If you prefer the mouse, follow these steps:
- Click the Start button, the Windows logo in the taskbar. The Start menu opens.
- Type Settings into the search box and click the result with the gear-shaped icon. If the gear is pinned to your Start menu, click that instead. The Settings window should now be open.
- Look at the menu on the left side of the Settings window.
- Scroll down the menu until you see Privacy & security and click it. The right-hand pane now shows your privacy options.
That’s it. You are on the privacy page, which covers everything from camera and microphone access to location history. Windows groups these under headings such as Windows permissions and App permissions. Account info is one of the entries under App permissions, and the next section covers it.
There is a shortcut for later visits. Click the search box at the top of the Settings window and type Account info. The matching privacy page should appear in the results, so you can skip the scrolling.
Step-by-Step: How to Block App Access to Account Info
To block every app at once, open Settings, go to Privacy & security, click Account info, and turn off the main switch next to Account info access. Microsoft Store apps can then no longer read your name, picture, and account details. This is the quickest option, and it works the same on Home and Pro.
Here is how to do it:
- Open the Windows Settings app. Press the Win and I together for the quick route. The Settings window opens.
- Click Privacy & security in the left menu.
- Scroll down to the section called App permissions and click Account info. The list of permissions is long, so you may need to scroll a fair way.
- Find the switch next to Account info access at the top of the page. When it reads On, apps are allowed to ask for your info.
- Click the switch to turn it Off. The label changes to Off, and the per-app switches below it turn grey.
That’s it. Account info is now blocked for the apps on your account. The change takes effect straight away, and there is nothing to save and no restart.
To undo this, come back to the same page and flip the switch to On. Once it is back on, the per-app switches become usable again.
Two limits are worth knowing. First, this setting only controls Microsoft Store apps, also called packaged apps. Classic desktop (Win32) programs can still read your Windows account name through system calls, and these switches do not block them.
Second, the setting applies only to the user account you are signed in with. Other people who use the PC have their own switches, so each person must change them. The Account info page also sits next to related pages in the same list, such as Contacts, which have their own separate switches.
How to Block Individual Apps While Leaving Others Allowed
To block one app and leave the others allowed, scroll down the Account info page to the list of apps. Turn the switch to Off next to each app you want to stop from seeing your profile details.
Follow these steps to manage individual app permissions:
- Open the Settings app.
- Click Privacy & security.
- Under App permissions, click Account info.
- Make sure the main Account info access switch at the top is turned On. If it is off, the per-app switches below it are greyed out and cannot be changed.
- Scroll down the page to the list of apps. Only apps that have asked for this permission appear here, so a newly installed app may not be listed until it first requests your account info.
- Look through the list for any app you do not trust or no longer use.
- Click the toggle switch next to that app to turn it Off. The toggle should now read Off for that app.
That’s it. The apps you switched off can no longer see your profile details, and the rest keep working as before. Repeat the last two steps for any other app you want to block.
To reverse a change, return to this list and switch the app back On. Remember that this list covers Store apps only. Classic desktop programs do not appear in it and are not controlled by these switches.
What Happens When You Block App Access?
Blocking app access to your account info stops Store apps from reading your profile name, picture, and email details. Your games and system tools keep working normally, and there is no risk to your computer.
A common worry is whether this will break anything. The short answer is no. Here is what to expect:
- Better PrivacyApps can no longer collect your profile name, picture, or email details without your knowledge.
- Fewer Targeted PromptsPrograms will stop asking for permission to view your user profile.
- Minor App AdjustmentsSome apps may ask you to sign in manually instead of automatically using your Windows account name. This is normal, and it is better for your privacy.
If you turn off access and an important program stops working correctly, go to Settings Privacy & security Account info and turn access back on for that app. If you had switched off the main Account info access switch, turn that on first. Then close and reopen the app so it can ask again.
Summary
Protecting your personal details on Windows 11 takes only a few clicks once you know where the setting is. This guide showed how to open Settings, turn off account info access for all Store apps at once, and block individual apps while keeping your trusted software running.
Check the app list again every few months, especially after you install new software. Keep in mind that desktop programs sit outside these switches, so review what you install as well.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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