Windows 11 works great out of the box, but it also connects, syncs, reports, backs up, and shares more than many people realize. If you care about privacy and want tighter control over what your computer sends to Microsoft and other services, you have to go beyond the default settings.
Although you cannot make your computer completely private, there are tweaks you can use to harden Windows 11 for privacy. For instance, you can switch to a local account, reduce telemetry, turn off cloud-powered search, remove apps like OneDrive and Copilot (and Windows Recall, if available), disable sharing and backup integrations, control updates, and even replace BitLocker with an alternative encryption solution if you prefer a different trust model.
