June 12, 2024 Microsoft has been dealing with a PR nightmare since the announcement of Copilot+ PCs, particularly due to concerns about the Recall feature, which tracks everything you do on your PC. Despite Microsoft’s recent updates addressing these concerns, most people are unaware that Windows already has a similar feature built-in.
Windows includes a feature called activity tracking, used in Windows 10 for the Timeline feature. Although Timeline was removed in Windows 11, activity tracking remains active by default.
How to Disable Activity History in Windows 11 (from Window’s Central)
1. Open Settings: Access it from the Start menu.
2. Go to Privacy & Security:Click on it from the left menu.
3. Select Activity History:Under this section, you can manage your activity tracking settings.
4. Turn Off Activity History:Toggle off the option for “Store my activity history on this device.”
5. Clear Existing Data: If available, click “Clear history” to remove recent data collected.
Repeat these steps for every new PC since this setting is enabled by default.
Window’s Central says disabling activity history should not negatively affect your Windows 11 experience, as the Timeline feature is not available. Even on Windows 10, the usefulness of Timeline has decreased since it no longer syncs data across devices. While this data isn’t synced online, the concern over privacy remains valid, especially with features like Recall in Copilot+.
