How to Stop Cortana Tracking & Enhance Your Privacy
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By Farrukh Mushtaq
Farrukh Mushtaq
See author profileFarrukh Mushtaq, a digital marketer at PureSquare, possesses a keen interest in cybersecurity and enjoys writing about it. With several years of experience in the digital marketing industry, he brings expertise and passion to his work.
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15 August 2024
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8 mins read
Table of Content
Table of Contents
- What is Cortana Tracking Your History?
- What Types of Data Does Cortana Tracked in Your History?
- Why is it Important to Stop Cortana from Tracking History?
- How to Stop Cortana from Tracking Your History?
- Stop Online Platforms and Websites from Tracking Your Activities
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Wrapping Up
With 3.8 billion people using voice assistants, managing privacy is important. This guide shows you how to stop Cortana from tracking your search history, browsing history, and location, helping you protect your privacy while keeping its features.
What is Cortana Tracking Your History?
Cortana tracking history is the information Microsoft’s digital assistant collects about your activities to offer better, personalized help, like reminders and suggestions. While this tracking aims to improve your experience, it also means Cortana stores details about your behavior, which can be a privacy concern for some users. You can check and manage this tracking history through your Microsoft account settings.
What Types of Data Does Cortana Tracked in Your History?
Cortana tracks various types of data in your history, including:
| Search Queries | What you've searched for online through Cortana or Bing. |
| Calendar Events | Information about your appointments and events. |
| Location Data | Places you've visited or searched for. |
| Web Browsing History | Websites you've visited when using Bing or Microsoft Edge. |
| Communication History | Emails and messages if Cortana has access to your email accounts. |
| Personal Interests | Topics and preferences you’ve shown interest in. |
This data helps Cortana offer personalized recommendations and reminders but also raises privacy considerations.
Why is it Important to Stop Cortana from Tracking History?
Stopping Cortana from tracking your history is important for these reasons:
Privacy
Tracking involves collecting sensitive personal data, such as your search queries, location, and communication history. Limiting this data collection helps protect your privacy.
Data Security
Reducing the amount of personal data stored and shared decreases the risk of this information being exposed or misused in case of data breaches.
Control
By stopping tracking, you gain more control over what data is collected about you and how it is used, ensuring it aligns with your preferences and privacy standards.
Reduced Personalization
If you prefer not to have your activities used to tailor recommendations or advertisements, stopping tracking can help prevent this personalized data usage.
Be Wary of Online Trackers and Data Collection Platforms
Even if you change the settings to limit Cortana's tracking history, it might not be enough to fully protect your privacy. Cortana can still collect some data in other ways. To better safeguard your privacy, you need to take more steps and be wary of privacy policies.
When it comes to online privacy and security, consider using PurePrivacy everyday on your device. PurePrivacy is a privacy-focused app that blocks trackers and secures your data. It provides extra protection to ensure your personal information stays private and safe.
How to Stop Cortana from Tracking Your History?
To stop Cortana from tracking your history, follow these steps:
Click on the Start menu and select the gear icon to open Settings. In the Settings window, click on Privacy.
- Manage Activity History
- Click on "Activity History" in the left pane.
- Uncheck the option that says "Let Windows collect my activities from this PC."
- Disable Cortana's Permissions
- Go back to the main Settings window.
- Click on "Cortana."
- Toggle off "Let Cortana respond to 'Hey Cortana'" and other permissions under "Permissions & History" to limit Cortana's access.
- Clear History
- To clear existing activity history, go to the "Manage my Microsoft account activity data" link in the Activity History section.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account, and you can view and delete activity data from here.
By following these steps, you can reduce or stop Cortana from tracking your history.
Stop Online Platforms and Websites from Tracking Your Activities
Use PurePrivacy to keep your online activities private and secure. It blocks trackers and ads, prevents unwanted information sharing, and allows you to block specific websites or domains.
Block Third-Party Trackers
Block third-party tracker domains to stop them from accessing your information and sharing it with advertisers.
Stay Alert with Dark Web Monitoring
Receive instant alerts whenever your personal data appears on the dark web to take swift action.
Send Automated Removal Requests
Remove your private data from 200+ data brokers that are collecting and harvesting your information without consent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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How can I ensure Cortana does not track my email interactions?
To ensure Cortana does not track your email interactions, go to Cortana's settings and disable access to your email accounts. This will prevent Cortana from monitoring your emails.
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How do I adjust Cortana’s permissions on my Windows PC?
On your Windows PC, open the Cortana settings by typing "Cortana" in the search bar, and select "Permissions." Here, you can adjust or turn off various permissions related to your data. For added protection, use PurePrivacy to manage and limit tracking on your PC.
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Can I stop Cortana from tracking my voice commands?
Yes, you can stop Cortana from tracking your voice commands by going to the Cortana settings and disabling the voice activation feature. This will prevent Cortana from storing voice data.
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How does stopping Cortana from tracking my history affect my personalized experience?
Stopping Cortana from tracking your history boosts privacy but may limit some features. For a balance of privacy and personalization, use PurePrivacy to control tracking and still get useful recommendations.
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Are there any risks if I don’t stop Cortana from tracking my history?
Not stopping Cortana from tracking your history can lead to potential privacy risks, such as unauthorized access to your data.
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Simplify your online presence today
With PurePrivacy, make sure all your personal data remains safe without a hassle!
Wrapping Up
Stop Cortana and other AI tools from tracking your history, browsing habits, and protect your personal information from surveillance or prying eyes. You can use PurePrivacy for added protection against other trackers and ads to maintain better control over your privacy.
