{"id":31099,"date":"2025-11-19T09:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T14:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/?p=31099"},"modified":"2025-11-19T09:18:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T14:18:00","slug":"how-to-remove-most-telemetry-and-advertising-in-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/how-to-remove-most-telemetry-and-advertising-in-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Remove Most Telemetry and Advertising in Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;\"><strong>How to Remove Most Telemetry and Advertising in Windows 11<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Windows 11 relies on data collection to make money. You are the product. It also generates income for Microsoft using integrated advertising throughout the operating system. However, you can significantly reduce both telemetry and promotional content while increasing your privacy without resorting to complex, high-risk third-party tools.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Here is the easiest and safest way to remove most telemetry and advertising in Windows 11, focusing entirely on built-in settings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Disable Privacy &amp; Telemetry Settings<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">These settings are the core of Microsoft&#8217;s data collection. Turning these off limits what data is sent back to the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>General Privacy Controls<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Go to Settings (Windows Key + I).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Navigate to Privacy &amp; security.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Click Recommendations and offers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Turn off all six toggles:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Personalized offers&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Allow websites to access my language lists.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Improve speech and search results.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Show notifications in settings&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Show recommendations and offers in settings&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">&#8220;Advertising ID&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/privacy11.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"588\" height=\"433\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Diagnostic Data<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">In Privacy &amp; security, click Diagnostics &amp; feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Set &#8220;Send optional diagnostic data&#8221; to Off.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">If you want to be thorough, click Delete diagnostic data to wipe any data currently stored on your device that hasn&#8217;t been sent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/privacy11b.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"588\" height=\"433\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Turn off Search highlights.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Search highlights are basically ads that show in the search box on the taskbar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">In Privacy &amp; security, click on &#8220;Search&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Turn the toggle off next to &#8220;Show search highlights&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/privacya.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"590\" height=\"477\" \/><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Start Menu Suggestions<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Windows often uses the Start Menu and Taskbar to recommend apps or services (which are essentially ads).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Go to Settings (Windows Key + I).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Navigate to Personalization &gt; Start.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Turn off the toggle for &#8220;Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/privacye.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"588\" height=\"370\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Next, go to Personalization &gt; Lock screen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/privacyf.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"588\" height=\"456\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Next to &#8220;Personalize your lock screen,&#8221; choose &#8220;Picture&#8221; &#8211; do not choose Windows Spotlight (you&#8217;ll see ads).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Uncheck &#8220;Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Change Lock screen status to &#8220;None&#8221;.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Remove Pre-Installed Promotional Apps<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Windows 11 comes with several apps pre-installed that serve promotional content. You can safely remove most of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Open the Start Menu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Right-click on any app you don&#8217;t use (common candidates are Xbox, Microsoft Teams, Solitaire, News, or Spotify).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">Select Uninstall.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;\">If an app cannot be uninstalled via the right-click menu, it&#8217;s generally best to leave it alone.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Remove Most Telemetry and Advertising in Windows 11 Windows 11 relies on data collection to make money. You are the product. It also generates income for Microsoft using integrated advertising throughout the operating system. However, you can significantly reduce both telemetry and promotional content while increasing your privacy without resorting to complex, high-risk third-party tools. Here\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/how-to-remove-most-telemetry-and-advertising-in-windows-11\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1670,2270,1656,4299,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31099"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31102,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31099\/revisions\/31102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}