How to clear and disable activity history on Windows 11

You should disable activity history on Windows 11, and here's how.

Windows 11 activity history
Windows 11 activity history

On Windows 11, you can clear and disable the activity history stored on your computer, and in this guide, you will learn how. Activity history is a feature that the operating system uses to keep track of things you do on the computer, such as apps and services you use, websites you visit, and files you open. 

The feature was originally designed for Timeline on Windows 10 to surface your recent activities in chronological order, allowing you to pick up where you left off quickly. Although Timeline is no longer available on Windows 11, the system continues to collect your activities to understand and improve its product and services and fix problems.

If you want to prevent Microsoft from collecting your activity history, on Windows 11, you have the option to clear and disable the feature through the Settings app.

This guide will teach you the steps to clear and delete the activity history on Windows 11.

Clear activity history on Windows 11

To clear your activity history on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Privacy & security.

  3. Click on Activity history.

  4. Click the Clear history button to delete the activities.

    Clear activity history

Once you complete the steps, the current activity history stored on your computer will be deleted. However, the systems will continue to store new information about your activities as long as the feature remains enabled.

Disable activity history on Windows 11

To disable activity history on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Privacy & security.

  3. Click on Activity history.

  4. Turn off the “Store my activity history on this device” toggle switch.

    Disable activity history

  5. Click the Clear history button.

After you complete the steps, the activity history feature will be disabled on Windows 11.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].