How to Turn Off "Activity History"?

[lmwapner]

For my new HP 23.8 inch AIO desktop PC (24-cr2000t) I've been advised to turn off Activity History, which I've been told is found in Settings - Privacy and Security.  I do not see it there or in any of the subsections.  Where is it and how can I turn it off?

Thanks!

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @lmwapner 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

To turn off Activity History on your Windows 11 HP 23.8 inch AIO desktop PC, follow these steps:

Open Settings:

• Click on the Start menu and select "Settings" (or press Win + I to open Settings directly).

Navigate to Privacy & security:

• In the Settings window, click on "Privacy & security" in the left-hand menu.

Access Activity History:

• Within the Privacy & security section, scroll down to find "Activity history" and select it.

Turn Off Activity History:

• You should see an option labeled "Store my activity history on this device". Toggle this off if you wish to disable activity history.
• Additionally, you can uncheck the option to "Send my activity history to Microsoft" if it's currently checked, to prevent the data from being sent to Microsoft.

Clear Activity History (Optional):

• Below these options, there might be a "Clear Activity History" button. Clicking this will clear all currently stored activity history on the device.

These steps should help you locate and manage the Activity History settings on your Windows 11 device. If you follow these instructions and don't see these options, make sure Windows 11 is updated to the latest version as settings interfaces can change with updates.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[lmwapner]

Thank you.

But as I mentioned, Activity History is not visible anywhere in Privacy and Security.

[Hawks_Eye · Accepted solution]

@lmwapner 

Thanks for following up—and I totally get how confusing it is when a setting you’ve been told to disable just doesn’t seem to exist. You’re not imagining it! 

In newer builds of Windows 11, Activity History has been quietly phased out or relocated depending on your system configuration and Microsoft account setup.

Here’s what you can try instead:

🧭 Step 1: Check for Activity History via Search

• Press Windows + S and type Activity History.
• If it appears, click it to open the settings directly.
• If not, it’s likely been removed or hidden in your version of Windows 11.

🧠 Step 2: Disable Timeline Sync (if applicable)

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Windows backup.
• Turn off Remember my apps and Remember my preferences.
• This helps reduce cross-device activity syncing.

🧼 Step 3: Clear Diagnostic Data

• Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback.
• Scroll down and click Delete diagnostic data.
• This clears stored activity-related logs.

🧰 Step 4: Use Group Policy Editor (Advanced)

If you're comfortable with advanced settings:

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to:
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > OS Policies
3. Look for Enable Activity Feed and set it to Disabled.

⚠️ This option may not be available on Home editions of Windows.

🧪 Step 5: Check Microsoft Account Privacy Settings

• Visit your Microsoft Privacy Dashboard.
• Review and clear any stored activity history under Activity history or App and service activity.

Let me know what you find—or if you'd like help checking your Windows build version to see which features are active. We’ll get this sorted so your system behaves exactly how you want it to!

Regards,

Hawks_Eye