Microsoft Account
What the default settings do
A Microsoft Account connects Windows, Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams), OneDrive, Bing, Edge, Xbox, Cortana, and other Microsoft services. By default, Microsoft collects browsing history, search history, location data, voice input, and app activity to personalize your experience and serve targeted ads. Much of this data is retained indefinitely unless you configure auto-delete or manually clear it. Microsoft also uses your data across its advertising network, which extends to third-party sites.
A reasonable privacy baseline
Most of these settings are managed at account.microsoft.com/privacy (the Privacy dashboard). Some settings are also available in Windows under Settings → Privacy & security and in individual Microsoft 365 apps.
Privacy dashboard - activity data
Browsing history → Clear and pause
Microsoft stores your browsing history from Edge when signed in. Clearing it removes past data, and pausing stops future collection. You can find this under the Privacy dashboard → Activity history.
Search history → Clear and pause
Bing search queries are logged to your account to personalize future results. Clearing and pausing this stops Microsoft from retaining your search history.
Location activity → Clear and pause
Microsoft logs location data from your devices when signed in. Pausing this stops ongoing collection. Navigation and weather apps still function using on-device location - they simply will not send that data to your Microsoft Account history.
Voice activity → Clear and pause
If you have used Cortana or voice typing, Microsoft may have stored voice clips associated with your account. Clear existing recordings and pause future collection.
Media activity → Clear and pause
Tracks what you watch, listen to, and read across Microsoft services. Pausing this stops logging of media consumption to your account.
App and service activity → Clear and pause
Logs which Microsoft apps and services you use and how you use them. Pausing reduces the data Microsoft holds about your usage patterns.
Advertising preferences
Privacy dashboard → Ad settings → Personalized ads → Off
Microsoft uses your account data, browsing behavior, and search queries to target ads across its advertising network (including on third-party sites). Turning this off means you still see ads, but they will not be based on your profile or activity.
Personalized ads in Windows → Off
Found in Windows under Settings → Privacy & security → General → Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID. Disabling this prevents Windows apps from using your advertising ID for targeting.
Copilot activity
Privacy dashboard → Copilot → Your Copilot app activity history → Delete all activity history
Covers your activity across Copilot apps signed in with your Microsoft account, including copilot.microsoft.com. You can export or delete this history, which is a record of what you have typed to Copilot and the responses you received.
Copilot → Training on conversation activity → Off
Excludes future Copilot conversations from being used to train Microsoft's AI models. This does not remove conversations already used for training before you changed the setting.
Copilot → Personalized ads → Off
Controls whether Microsoft uses your Copilot activity to personalize ads you see. Turning this off does not reduce how many ads you see, only whether they are based on your Copilot activity.
Microsoft 365 privacy
Microsoft 365 apps → File → Account → Account Privacy → Manage Settings → Turn off optional connected experiences
Optional connected experiences in Microsoft 365 include features like resume assistant in Word, PowerPoint Designer suggestions, and third-party integrations. These send document content to Microsoft servers. Disabling them keeps your documents processed locally.
Optional diagnostic data → Off (send required diagnostic data only)
Microsoft 365 apps collect diagnostic data. Setting this to required-only sends the minimum data needed for security and reliability updates, rather than detailed usage telemetry.
Cortana data
Cortana → Off (if not actively used)
If you do not use Cortana, disabling it prevents ongoing data collection related to voice queries and personal assistant features. On recent Windows versions, Cortana is a standalone app that can be uninstalled. On older versions, it can be disabled in Settings.
Privacy dashboard → Voice activity → Clear → Clear all voice data
Removes any stored voice recordings associated with Cortana or voice typing from your account.
Linked accounts
Privacy dashboard → Apps and services → Review → Remove unused connections
Third-party apps and services that you have signed into with your Microsoft Account retain access until revoked. Review this list and remove any services you no longer use.
OneDrive privacy
OneDrive sharing defaults → Set to "Specific people" or "People with existing access"
OneDrive may default to broader sharing links depending on your organization or plan. Setting the default to specific people ensures files are not accidentally shared more broadly than intended.
OneDrive Personal Vault → Use for sensitive documents
Personal Vault requires additional authentication (such as biometrics or a PIN) to access files stored within it. It automatically locks after a period of inactivity. Store sensitive documents here rather than in standard OneDrive folders.
Trade-offs
- Pausing search history means Bing search results will not be personalized to your past queries. Results may feel less tailored to your interests.
- Pausing browsing history means Microsoft Edge features like tab recommendations and cross-device browsing continuity will be less useful.
- Turning off personalized ads does not reduce the number of ads. Ads on Microsoft services and partner sites may be less relevant.
- Disabling optional connected experiences in Microsoft 365 removes convenience features like Designer in PowerPoint, Editor suggestions based on cloud processing, and some third-party add-in functionality.
- Turning off Cortana means losing voice-based assistant features on Windows, including voice-initiated reminders and hands-free queries.
- Restricting OneDrive sharing defaults may require extra steps each time you share a file, since you will need to specify recipients explicitly.
- Deleting Copilot activity history removes your record of past conversations, so you will not be able to refer back to earlier answers. Opting out of training does not undo training that already happened on past conversations.
Who should not change these settings
- If you use Bing extensively and value personalized search results, keeping search history active may improve your experience.
- If you rely on Cortana for voice commands, reminders, or hands-free interaction on Windows, disabling it removes that functionality.
- If you use Microsoft 365 connected experiences (such as PowerPoint Designer or Editor) as part of your daily workflow, disabling optional connected experiences will remove those features.
- If your organization manages your Microsoft Account (work or school account), some of these settings may be controlled by your administrator and cannot be changed individually.
- If you share files frequently through OneDrive and your workflow depends on easy link sharing, restrictive sharing defaults may slow you down.
- If you use Copilot for ongoing work and want to revisit earlier conversations, keep your activity history rather than deleting it.