How To Configure Device Usage Tailoring In Windows 11 Personalization Settings

Prerequisites Before You Begin

• A device running Windows 11 Home or Pro (Build 22000 or later).
• An active user account with administrator privileges or standard user permissions (most Personalization settings allow standard user modification, but diagnostic data controls may require an administrator).
• An active internet connection if you want Microsoft account-synced preferences to update across devices.

How to Access Personalization Settings in 🪟 Windows 11

To change how Windows customizes your experience, navigate to the Personalization section of the Windows interface. This section houses all visual, theme, and behavioral configurations for your desktop environment.

1. Open the Start menu ⊞ and click on the Settings ⚙️ app (represented by a gear icon), or press the Win+I keyboard shortcut.

   

2. Click on Personalization in the left-hand sidebar menu to load your desktop layout, color schemes, and tailoring options.

   

Navigating to Device Usage Options

Locate the specific sub-menu that controls usage-based tips and recommendations inside the Personalization menu.

Scroll down the Personalization page and click on the Device usage option. (If you do not see this option immediately, ensure your Windows 11 installation is fully updated, as it was introduced in later feature updates).

Configuring Your Device Usage Categories

Select the primary ways you use your computer so Windows stops pushing irrelevant suggestions.

1. Review the available categories listed on the screen: Gaming, Family, Creative, School, Entertainment, and Business.

   

2. Check the boxes next to all the ways you plan to use your device. You can select multiple categories if your computer serves dual purposes, such as gaming and creative work.
3. Click or check your choices; Windows saves these selections automatically in real-time, tailoring subsequent tips and integrated app suggestions immediately.

How Tailoring Affects System Tips and Recommendations

Identify whether the feature is working properly by understanding what changes after you select your categories. Once configured, Windows modifies several touchpoints across the operating system:

• Start Menu Recommendations: Pinned sections and recommended files will lean toward software associated with your chosen categories (e.g., design tools for Creative, game launchers for Gaming).
• Tip Notifications: Pop-up notifications offering shortcuts, feature tours, and productivity tips will align with your selected use cases rather than generic prompts.
• App Suggestions: Integrated suggestions in the Microsoft Store and setup wizards will prioritize tools relevant to your workflow.

Managing Diagnostic Data Required for Accurate Tailoring

Device Usage tailoring relies on basic telemetry and diagnostic data to evaluate how effectively the system meets your workflow needs. Windows may lack the data required to maintain accurate tailoring if you have strict privacy settings enabled.

1. Open Settings by pressing the Windows Key + I.
2. Click on Privacy & security in the left-hand sidebar.

   

3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.

   

4. Ensure that your diagnostic data setting is set at least to Required diagnostic data (or Optional diagnostic data) if you want the operating system to dynamically fine-tune recommendations based on feature usage. Setting this to "Send no optional diagnostic data" may limit how deeply Windows can customize your experience.

Configuring Device Usage via the Windows Registry

Always back up your registry before making changes.

Configure Device Usage flags directly through the Registry Editor if the Settings app interface fails to save your choices or if you are managing multiple machines via scripted deployments.

1. Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. (Requires administrator privileges).
3. Navigate to the following registry path by typing or pasting it into the address bar at the top: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Privacy
4. Look for DWORD values corresponding to your device usage preferences (such as TailoredExperiencesWithDiagnosticDataEnabled). Double-click the value and change its Data value to 1 to enable tailored experiences or 0 to disable them.

Advanced Tip: Disabling Tailored Experiences Completely

Turn off the underlying telemetry engine responsible for Device Usage customization if you prefer a completely clean operating system with zero personalized tips, sponsored suggestions, or tailored onboarding workflows.

1. Open Settings and navigate to Privacy & security.
2. Click on General.
3. Toggle off the switch for Let apps show me personalized ads by changing my advertising ID.
4. Toggle off Show me suggested content in the Settings app.
5. Go back to Privacy & security, click on Diagnostics & feedback, expand Tailored experiences, and turn the toggle to Off to prevent Microsoft from using your diagnostic data to offer customized tips, ads, and recommendations.