Are you tired of feeling like Windows 11 is constantly watching your every move? Or perhaps it’s slowing down your PC with unnecessary background processes? You’re not alone. While Windows 11 offers a sleek experience, some default settings can compromise your privacy and eat up valuable system resources.
Today, we’re diving deep into 5 of the most intrusive settings in Windows 11 that you absolutely need to turn off. These aren’t just about privacy; they can also significantly improve your system’s performance, giving you back control over your PC. Let’s get started!
1. Tailored Experiences with Diagnostic Data
First up, let’s tackle “Tailored experiences” under Diagnostics & feedback. By default, Windows wants to “tailor your experiences” by using your diagnostic data. This means it collects information on how you use your device to provide personalized tips, ads, and recommendations from Microsoft. While it might sound helpful, it’s essentially a form of tracking that many of us simply don’t want or need.
How to disable:
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Go to
Start > Settings. -
Click on Privacy & security in the left sidebar.
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Select Diagnostics & feedback.
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Scroll down to “Tailored experiences” and toggle it OFF.
For even greater privacy, consider reviewing the “Send optional diagnostic data” setting here as well. Limiting it to only “Required diagnostic data” further minimizes the information Microsoft collects.
2. Get Tips and Suggestions As You Use Windows
Next, let’s talk about those annoying pop-ups and suggestions Windows loves to throw at you. This is often driven by the setting “Get tips and suggestions as you use Windows.” While some might find these tips useful, they can frequently feel like intrusive ads or unnecessary notifications cluttering your experience, and again, they’re based on your usage data.
How to disable:
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Go to
Start > Settings. -
Click on System in the left sidebar.
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Select Notifications.
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Scroll to the very bottom and uncheck the box that says “Get tips and suggestions as you use Windows”.
While you’re on this page, it’s a good idea to review other notification settings, especially for apps you rarely use, to further reduce distractions.
3. Let Apps Run in the Background (Individual App Control)
This one is a big one for performance and battery life: “Let apps run in the background.” Many apps, even when you’re not actively using them, are running processes in the background, consuming CPU, RAM, and battery. While some apps need this (like a messaging app), many others don’t, and it’s a huge source of unnecessary resource drain.
How to manage:
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Go to
Start > Settings. -
Click on Apps in the left sidebar.
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Select Installed apps.
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Scroll through your list of apps. For each app you want to restrict:
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Click the three dots (…) next to the app name.
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Select “Advanced options”.
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Under “Background app permissions,” change the setting from “Power optimized (recommended)” or “Always” to “Never.”
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Be strategic here. For apps like your email client or Spotify, you might want them to run in the background. But for games, photo editors, or utilities you rarely use, setting them to “Never” can free up significant resources.
4. Showing Recommended Content in Start Menu and Settings (Advertisements)
Ever notice those “recommendations” in your Start Menu or sometimes within the Settings app itself? These are often just advertisements for apps from the Microsoft Store, or suggestions for files you might not care about anymore. It’s clutter, and it’s intrusive. Let’s turn those off.
How to disable (Start Menu):
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Go to
Start > Settings. -
Click on Personalization in the left sidebar.
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Select Start.
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Toggle OFF the option that says “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more”.
This cleans up your Start Menu significantly. You might also want to review “Show recently added apps” and “Show most used apps” while you’re here if you prefer a cleaner Start menu.
5. “Advertising ID” for Apps (Personalized Ads)
Finally, let’s tackle your “Advertising ID.” Just like on your phone, Windows creates a unique ID for you that apps can use to show you personalized ads. If you don’t want apps tracking your usage for targeted advertising, this is a must-disable setting.
How to disable:
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Go to
Start > Settings. -
Click on Privacy & security in the left sidebar.
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Select General.
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Toggle OFF the option that says “Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID”.
While you’re on this “General” privacy page, it’s a good idea to review the other toggles as well, like “Let Windows show me suggested content in the Settings app.” I recommend turning most of these off for maximum privacy.
Take Back Control!
By taking a few minutes to adjust these 5 intrusive settings, you’ve significantly enhanced your privacy and potentially boosted your Windows 11 PC’s performance. It’s amazing how much control we actually have, once we know where to look!
Did you find these tips helpful? Are there any other “intrusive” settings you think I missed? Let me know in the comments below!