By default, Microsoft collects data and stores your information through Windows 10 Activity History. Activity history is part of the Windows 10/11 privacy option which helps track the things you do on your machine. For example, the software or application you used, things you searched, or websites you visited. It looks harmless, right? But, if we tell you that these data and activities are being sent to Microsoft so that they can use it. Are you not going to be bothered about it?
Microsoft states that they use the activity history to provide users with personalized experiences. The company mentioned that with these data, they can provide relevant suggestions. This means, while using your Windows 10 or Windows 11, it can anticipate your next activity, like the software you will use or the website you will visit. All because of the historical data Microsoft already stored and analyzed.
What's In Here
What Data Does Microsoft Gather And Track From Activity History
The following data are being collected by Microsoft from your daily activities. The data are stored both in your local machine and the cloud.
- Location data (only if enabled)
- Microsoft Edge Browsing History
- Bing Search History
- Microsoft apps and services
- Media activities (if enabled)
- Microsoft apps and services performance data
How Can You View, Clear, And Stop Windows 10 Activity History
If you find this feature intrusive or violating your privacy, Microsoft made it easy for end-users to view, delete, or opt out of the Windows 10 Activity history. Here are the steps for how you can manage your Activity history, both on your local machine and cloud.
To Clear Activity History From Your Local Computer
1. Press your Window key and click Settings.
2. Then from the Windows 10 Settings, find and click the Privacy icon.
5. Whether you enable or disable storing your activity history, to clear your up-to-date activity history, click the Clear button under the Clear activity history.
To Clear Windows 10 Activity History From Microsoft Cloud
You should also clear your historical data from your Microsoft cloud account.
1. You can either do the following to access and manage your activity data.
- Click Manage my Microsoft account activity data from your Windows 10’s Settings > Privacy > Activity history.
- Or you can log in straight to your Microsoft Privacy’s Manage your activity data option.
2. Then you can choose which activity data you want to clear. For example, to clear the Search history below, collapse the option and click the Clear all search history.
There you have it, your activity data is no longer stored either on your local machine or Microsoft Windows cloud.
