Stop Windows from Tracking Everything You Do
There’s been a lot of pushback against Windows Copilot PCs and a new feature called “Recall” (now rolling out to those with Copilot PCs), which is turned on by default. Recall automatically takes screenshots of your screen every few seconds, supposedly to make things easier to find using the AI assistant “Copilot”.
From what we’re reading, it seems most people don’t want Windows taking screenshots every few seconds of everything they do on their computers and are quite upset about it.
But did you know that Windows 10 and 11 Already Track Everything You Do?
Did you know that whether you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11 and whether you use or have Copilot or not, Windows already tracks everything you do – but not with screenshots? It’s called Timeline and Activity History in Windows 10 and Activity History in Windows 11.
If you don’t want Windows tracking everything you do on your computer, here’s how to turn off Activity history and clear history already recorded.
Windows 10
Open Settings (Windows key + i ) and click on Privacy
In the left-hand pane, click on Activity history.
Under the “Manage your activity history” section, you’ll see two options:
Store my activity history on this device: Toggle the switch to Off if you don’t want Windows to store your activity history on your device.
Send my activity history to Microsoft: Toggle the switch to Off to prevent Windows from sending your activity history to Microsoft.
Disabling both options will completely turn off activity history.
To clean up what Windows has already recorded, scroll down a bit further, and under “Clear activity history,” click the “Clear” button.
Windows 11
Open Settings (Windows key + i)
In Settings, click on “Privacy & security”
Under “Privacy & security,” scroll down, find “Activity history,” and click on it.
In the “Activity history” dialog, toggle the switch next to “Store my activity history on this device” to the Off position.
And next to “Clear activity history for this account”, click on “Clear history”.
Mind doesn’t have a ‘Clear history’
You won’t have a “Clear History” if Activity History has been turned off.
My laptop is Windows 10. The weird thing is, my options are identical to the Windows 11 options shown, and not Windows 10! I know that a few Windows 11 features were rolled out early to some Windows 10 users… could this be why? For example, when I click on “activity history” there’s no “manage your activity history” to select- it just goes to the activity history. Once there, there’s no “send my activity history to Microsoft” option to check/uncheck. I have only “store my activity history on this device” and “show activities from these accounts” with off/on, and “clear activity history”. It does not appear that I have the option of NOT sending my activity to Microsoft.
I don’t see ‘Clear history’ button on my Windows 11
There won’t be a Clear History is Activity History has been turned off.
Is it a problem and what is the harm .
If you don’t care that everything you’ve ever done or looked at on your computer is easily accessible to anyone with access to your computer, it’s not a problem at all.
I do not seem to have “Activity History” at all.
In Windows 11, Activity History is in Settings > Privacy & security.
Windows 11 Activity History screenshot
In Windows 10, Activity History is in Settings > Privacy.
Windows 10 Activity History Screenshot here.
I also don’t have activity history in Windows 11. HELP!
In Windows 11, Activity History is in Settings > Privacy & security.
Windows 11 Activity History screenshot
Thank you, every line you have in the screenshot shows up, in the same order, but Activity History is missing. It is not there at all. Would I find it anywhere else?
Are you using Windows 10 or 11? What happens if you type CLEAR ACTIVITY HISTORY in the taskbar search & press ENTER?
I dont have Activity History either
In Windows 11, Activity History is in Settings > Privacy & security.
Windows 11 Activity History screenshot
In Windows 10, Activity History is in Settings > Privacy.
Windows 10 Activity History Screenshot here.
In Windows 11, Activity History is in Settings > Privacy & security.
Windows 11 Activity History screenshot
In Windows 10, Activity History is in Setting > Privacy.
Windows 10 Activity History Screenshot here.
On my Windows 11 HP Laptop, I could not fine Activity History either. But I searched other things under Privacy and Security and found Search Permissions, then History and there is a toggle there which was off. Under it is a Clear Device Search History button to click. Would this be the same thing???
No it’s not the same thing. I took the screenshots on Windows 11 24H2.
I see what the problem is and why so many don’t have the clear history. We have a different version of Windows 11. My version is 24H2 and yours is 22H2. Everything else is the same. I really appreciate your info on how to turn it off!
I am running Windows 11 24H2.