Windows · Privacy & Security
Manage the Privacy & Security Hub
Privacy & Security is the central hub introduced in Windows 11 that groups Windows Security (antivirus and firewall), sign-in options, app permissions, and general privacy controls like diagnostic data and activity history into one settings category. It's the starting point for auditing everything related to your PC's security and data posture in one place.
How to open Privacy & Security
- Open Settings → Privacy & Security.
- Select Windows Security to check antivirus and firewall status.
- Select App permissions to review what data individual apps can access.
- Scroll to General to adjust advertising ID, tailored experiences, and related toggles.
What you should know
- Access Windows Security's virus, firewall, and device health status directly from this hub.
- Review 'App permissions' to see and control what data individual apps can access.
- Adjust 'General' privacy toggles like advertising ID, tailored experiences, and app launch tracking.
- Manage 'Activity history' to control whether your activity is sent to Microsoft for cross-device timeline features.
Some privacy toggles under 'General' are set to their most permissive option by default during initial Windows setup, so it's worth reviewing them once rather than assuming defaults match your preference.
Why it matters
Privacy & Security consolidates what used to be scattered across several separate menus into a single hub, making it realistic to actually review your full privacy and security posture in one sitting instead of hunting through multiple pages. Because it's also the home for Windows Security, it doubles as your entry point for checking antivirus and firewall status alongside more data-focused settings like diagnostic reporting. For anyone setting up a new PC, this is the single most efficient place to lock down defaults before regular use begins.
Best practices
- Walk through each sub-section once after setting up a new PC rather than leaving every default untouched.
- Turn off 'Let apps show me personalized ads' under General if you don't want your activity used for ad targeting.
- Review 'App permissions' periodically, since new apps you install may request access you don't remember granting.
- Check Windows Security's status from this hub regularly, since it surfaces here exactly the same as opening the dedicated Windows Security app.
Common problems and fixes
- Can't find a specific privacy toggle that used to be somewhere else in older Windows versions.
- Windows 11 reorganized several settings from separate 'Privacy' and 'Update & Security' pages into this single hub, so check both 'App permissions' and 'General' sub-pages before assuming a setting was removed.
- Windows Security shows a warning inside this hub.
- Click directly into the flagged section (usually Virus & threat protection or Firewall & network protection) for a specific description of the problem and a one-click fix where available.
- Activity history keeps syncing across devices even though you don't want it to.
- Turn off 'Store my activity history on this device' under Activity history, and also review the linked Microsoft account privacy dashboard, since cross-device sync depends on both settings.
Tips and tricks
- Use the search box at the top of Settings and type 'privacy' to jump directly into whichever sub-section you need without navigating the full hub each time.
- Bookmark 'App permissions' specifically if you check it more often than the broader hub, since it's one level deeper in the menu.
Frequently asked questions
Is Privacy & Security the same as the old standalone Privacy settings page?
It's the successor and superset — Windows 11 merged the old Privacy page with Windows Security and some Update & Security items into this single combined hub.
Do I need to configure every sub-section, or only the ones I care about?
Only the ones relevant to you — many, like advertising ID or activity history, are optional conveniences you can safely ignore if they don't concern you, while Windows Security is worth checking regardless.
Does turning off diagnostic data collection affect Windows Update or security patches?
No, reducing diagnostic data to 'Required' still allows Windows Update to function normally; it only limits the amount of optional telemetry Microsoft receives.
Related settings
- Windows SecurityWindows Security is the built-in protection center for virus & threat protection, firewall & network protection, and device health. It runs Microsoft Defender Antivirus and lets you review recent scans and threats.
- App PermissionsApp Permissions organizes privacy controls by capability rather than by app, letting you see at a glance which installed apps can access location, contacts, calendar, file system, and a dozen other data types. Instead of checking each app individually, you pick a permission type and review every app that has requested it.
- Camera PermissionCamera Permission controls which applications are allowed to access your device's camera. Managing these permissions helps protect your privacy and ensures that only trusted applications can capture video or images.
More Privacy & Security guides for Windows
- Microphone PermissionMicrophone Permission lets you control which applications can use your device's microphone. This is essential for maintaining privacy and preventing unauthorized audio recording by untrusted software.
- BitLocker Device EncryptionDevice Encryption (built on BitLocker technology) encrypts your entire system drive so its contents are unreadable to anyone without your Windows sign-in credentials or a separate recovery key, even if the physical drive is removed and connected to another PC. It's automatically available on many modern PCs that meet specific hardware requirements, and can be extended to additional drives on Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
- Location PrivacyManages whether Windows and individual apps can access your device's location, including the master location toggle and per-app permissions for location data.
- Diagnostics & FeedbackControls how much diagnostic and usage data your device sends to Microsoft, along with feedback frequency, tailored experiences, and options to view or delete diagnostic data.
- Activity HistoryControls whether Windows stores a history of your app and browsing activity locally and, if signed in, syncs it to Microsoft to power features like Timeline-style continuity across devices.
- General Privacy OptionsGeneral privacy options cover system-wide toggles that don't belong to a specific permission, including advertising ID personalization, app launch tracking for Start menu suggestions, and website language list access.