- To enable BitLocker on “Windows 11 Home,” open Settings > Privacy & Security > Device Encryption, and turn on the “Device Encryption” toggle switch.
- BitLocker is a security feature that encrypts the data on the drive so no one can view it without the correct password to decrypt it.
- You can only use BitLocker in the Home edition on supported devices. If you can’t find the option, your computer doesn’t support the feature.
Although BitLocker is not part of Windows 11 Home, you can still protect your computer and files using “device encryption.” In the Home edition of Windows 11, device encryption is a light version of BitLocker. When you enable the feature, the data gets scrambled on the primary and secondary drives using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption algorithm to protect your information, and only you with the correct password can access it.
The main difference between BitLocker and BitLocker device encryption is that BitLocker is only available in the Pro and higher editions of Windows 11 and offers additional management options.
Device encryption requires a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2 with support for Modern Standby. Since Windows 11 also requires these components, the feature should be available in almost all laptops and desktops running the Home edition of the operating system.
In this guide, you will learn the steps to enable device encryption in the Home edition of Windows 11.
Enable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home
To turn on BitLocker device encryption on Windows 11 Home, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on Privacy & Security.
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Under the “Security” section, click the Device encryption page.
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Turn on Device encryption toggle switch to enable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home.
Once you complete the steps, the feature will encrypt the entire system drive on Windows 11.
Retrieve Bitlocker recovery key
To export the BitLocker recovery key on Windows 11 Home, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on Privacy & security.
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Under the “Security” section, click the Device encryption page.
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Under the “Related” section, click the BitLocker drive encryption option.
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Under the “Operating system drive” section, click the Back up your recovery key option.
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Click the Save to a file option.
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Save the BitLocker recovery key on an external drive.
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Click the Save button.
After you complete the steps, the recovery key will be saved in the location you specified, and you will be able to use it to access your files in case you are having trouble accessing your computer.
You can download it from your Microsoft account if you don’t have access to your computer and have never backed up the recovery key.
Disable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home
To turn off device encryption in the Home edition of Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings.
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Click on Privacy & security.
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Under the “Security” section, click the Device encryption page.
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Turn off Device encryption to disable BitLocker on Windows 11 Home.
- Click the Turn off button.
Once you complete the steps, the feature will begin decrypting all the files on your device.
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].