How to Turn Off Windows’ Aging Activity Tracker

You may view Microsoft’s upcoming Recall feature, which screenshots everything you do (and has now become an opt-in feature), as a convenient way to keep an eye on your history or as a problematic privacy violation. However, this is not the first time your activity on a Windows computer has been recorded.

As XDA Developers has pointed out, Windows 10 and 11 computers already contain an activity tracker, initially introduced in Windows 10 as part of its Timeline feature. Although Timeline was removed in Windows 11, the tracker apparently was not.

Activity history may still be enabled in Windows 11, even though Timeline has disappeared. Screenshot: Microsoft

It’s simple to check if the tracker is still enabled — and then to disable it.

Steps to Disable the Activity Tracker:

1. Go to your Windows Settings.

2. In the left-hand column, select Privacy & security.

3. Scroll down to and select Activity history.

4. Toggle off Store my activity history on this device.

5. Below that, hit the Clear history button to clear your activity history.

Privacy & security > Activity history page in Windows 11 settings.

However, if you’re too busy to deal with this right now, you may not have to worry about it.

In Microsoft’s support page, it asserts that your activity history will no longer be used in current versions of Windows 11. Screenshot: Microsoft

Automatic Deletion of Activity History

There are now two notes on Microsoft’s support page for Activity history. The first states: “The option to send activity history to Microsoft has been deprecated from Windows 11 23H2 and 22H2, January 23, 2024-KB5034204 update.” The second note adds that you can either clear your history manually (using the above method) or just wait because “your activity history will be automatically deleted within 30 days from when your data was last synced to the cloud.”

So, whether or not you decide to manually deactivate your Activity history depends on how much you trust Microsoft.

Manual Deactivation: If you prefer to have immediate control over your data and don’t want to wait 30 days for it to be deleted automatically, follow the steps outlined above to turn off and clear your activity history.

Automatic Deletion: If you’re comfortable waiting, rest assured that your activity history will be deleted within 30 days from the last sync to the cloud, as per Microsoft’s policy.

In Summary

While the Timeline feature has been removed in Windows 11, the underlying activity tracker remains. If privacy is a concern for you, it's wise to check your settings and disable this feature. Microsoft’s new Recall feature adds another layer to the ongoing conversation about privacy and data security. Regardless of your stance, it's important to stay informed and take control of your digital footprint.