What Windows 11 Recommendations And Offers Actually Collects And Sends To Microsoft

Required Data Collected by 🪟 Windows 11

Required diagnostic data includes basic hardware and system details that Microsoft gathers to keep your computer running, up to date, and secure against threats. You cannot opt out of this required data collection through the standard user interface, as it transmits essential information about your device model and internal components directly to Microsoft servers.

This data includes basic hardware and system details:

• The model of the device running Windows and its internal hardware components.
• Diagnostic data recorded when catastrophic system failures or crashes occur.
• Basic error reporting data, such as whether a Windows update 🔃 applied successfully and whether core operating system components function as intended.

• The specific version and build of Windows you are running, alongside any optional installations or system packages applied.
• An inventory of all installed applications, drivers, and active services.

While this required telemetry cannot be disabled via standard toggle switches, everything else categorized under optional diagnostics and tailored experiences can be turned off.

Optional Data Collected

Certain Windows 11 apps and services require the collection of specific data to function, but those apps and services themselves can be disabled. Here are the optional data points collected by Windows 11 and how you can opt out of each one.

Browsing History

Windows 11 tracks your web browsing activity, including the websites you visit and search terms you type into Microsoft Edge, to influence search relevance and targeted advertising. You can stop this behavior by changing privacy settings in the main configuration menu to prevent Microsoft from storing your browser data.

To disable this tracking:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.

   

3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.

   

4. Toggle Send optional diagnostic data to Off.

Connected Devices

Connected devices data collection allows Microsoft to gather detailed information about your computer hardware and every peripheral plugged into it, such as webcams, printers, and storage drives. Windows captures specific device names and driver versions alongside your error reporting data to track hardware compatibility.

Windows 11 can capture device names, driver versions, driver states, Wi-Fi details, available local networks, and configuration profiles. It can also gather information on the way you use Windows 11, including your default application choices.

To turn off connected device tracking:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.

   

4. Toggle Send optional diagnostic data to Off.

Inking and Typing

Inking and typing data collection involves Windows 11 gathering anonymized samples of your typed words, voice dictation, and handwritten notes to improve speech and handwriting recognition accuracy. The operating system records inputs from your physical keyboard, virtual keyboard, and touch screen to train its local transcription features.

Microsoft uses this data to improve voice recognition and handwriting accuracy. To disable this:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.

   

4. Toggle Improve inking and typing to Off.

Product and Service Performance

Product and service performance telemetry measures the overall health and speed of your device, operating system, applications, and drivers through automated data collection. Even though Microsoft strips direct personal identifiers from this information, the system records metrics like feature response times and hardware reliability.

This data includes metrics such as how quickly system features respond to your voice commands, or how long facial recognition takes to start up and finish its security calculations. It is also used for tailored experiences, including recommending settings changes to optimize battery life or suggesting a cloud storage provider if your device runs low on storage space.

To turn this telemetry off:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.

   

4. Toggle both Send optional diagnostic data and Tailored experiences to Off.

Product and Service Usage

Product and service usage tracking records which applications you open, which programs are running when errors happen, and whether you turn off specific help features. Microsoft uses this partially anonymized telemetry to measure feature adoption and build tailored experiences that suggest new settings.

This data is mainly used for tailored experiences, where Windows suggests that you enable settings you might have disabled. It is also used to suggest alternative Microsoft and third-party applications based on your most frequently used programs.

To turn off product and service usage tracking:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.
4. Toggle both Send optional diagnostic data and Tailored experiences to Off.

Software Setup and Inventory

Software setup and inventory collection gathers details about the applications running on your PC, active anti-malware programs, driver updates, and your installed Microsoft Store apps. Windows uses this inventory data to track update schedules and recommend comparable apps based on your most frequently used programs.

The tailored experiences feature leverages this inventory data to recommend comparable apps to the ones you use most often. To disable this data collection:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.
4. Toggle both Send optional diagnostic data and Tailored experiences to Off.

Location Tracking

Location tracking allows Windows 11 to determine your physical position for the Find My Device feature, localized weather forecasts, and more relevant search results. Third-party applications can also access your geographic coordinates if you grant them specific permissions in the system privacy settings.

To turn off location tracking completely:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Location.
4. Toggle Location services to Off. Alternatively, you can disable location tracking for individual apps using the app list on that same page.

How to View What Data 🪟 Windows 11 Is Collecting on You

Viewing what data Windows 11 is collecting requires turning on diagnostic data viewing in your settings and installing the free Diagnostic Data Viewer app from the Microsoft Store. This built-in tool provides a complete, itemized report of all the telemetry and tracking information your computer currently sends to Microsoft.

To inspect your tracked telemetry:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select Diagnostics & feedback.
4. Toggle View diagnostic data to On.

You will need around 1GB of free storage space to store the diagnostic logs. Once installed, you can use the app to browse through all the telemetry and data that Windows 11 has collected on your device recently, as well as examine details of which specific applications are sending the most data back to Microsoft servers.

Advanced Privacy Opt-Outs for Recommendations and Offers

Advanced privacy opt-outs for recommendations and offers involve turning off specific switches in Windows 11 that push marketing notifications and third-party suggestions into the Start menu, File Explorer, and Settings app. Disabling these configurations stops Microsoft from analyzing your personal user behavior to deliver targeted promotional content.

To disable personalized offers and system recommendations:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select General.
4. Toggle off options including "Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID", "Show me suggested content in the Settings app", and "Get tips, suggestions, and ways to get the most out of Windows".

To clear out unwanted promotions from the Start menu:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.

   

3. Select Start.

   

4. Toggle off "Show recommendations for tips, shortcut, new apps, and more".

Checking Advertising ID and Behavioral Tracking

Checking your advertising ID and behavioral tracking helps you see how Microsoft and app developers use a unique alphanumeric code to monitor your app usage across different programs. Advertisers rely on this identifier to build a personal behavioral profile and serve targeted promotional offers directly to your user account.

To block apps from accessing your advertising ID:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & security.
3. Select General.
4. Toggle "Let apps use my advertising ID for experiences across apps" to Off.

Disabling this feature does not completely stop ads from appearing within free apps downloaded from the Microsoft Store, but it restricts those networks from personalizing ads based on your personal hardware usage history and app interactions.