How to Disable the Windows 10 Keylogger
Prevent Microsoft from collecting data on you
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Key notes
- The Windows 10 keylogger records your speech and typing patterns and sends this data directly to Microsoft.
- The company's latest OS comes equipped with this keylogger enabled by default.
- Find out how to disable it and protect your online privacy.
Windows 10 users have often criticized Microsoft over its privacy policy and it doesn’t seem like they’ll ever lack opportunities to continue doing so.
Read on to find out how to tell if you have a keylogger and how to disable it on your Windows 10 device.
Does Windows 10 have a keylogger?
Windows 10 does not have an actual keylogger, instead, the built-in Windows diagnostic service is used to improve keyboard prediction service and inking recognition for future updates.
Microsoft is collecting data to improve its service, but many users have not consented to it. The contents of every keystroke are sent through to Redmond servers.
It’s not the first time Microsoft has to consider privacy concerns. Many users have requested a switch to turn off all data and telemetry collection.
The fact is, Windows has had telemetry since its first editions. It helps Microsoft know what features to focus on and be aware of those not being used.
The Redmond giant explains this is done to improve the user experience. However, users feel that the OS is actually spying on them:
W** is Windows 10 so sinister? All I here about is ads, tracking and mandatory updates that restart the computer no matter what youre doing. Now keyloggers. It also ran slower than a turd coming out on a freezing morning. Im glad I downgraded. There’s no way in hell I will ever use this bul***** free spyware.
The lack of transparency and the absence of an option to control exactly how their data was used, made users complain about this feature.
How can I disable the keylogger in Windows 10?
A new feature was added to Windows 10 since the April Update, letting you disable what is considered to be its built-in keylogger. Microsoft also added a new feature that lets you see what data is being backed up on your device.
That being said, if you’re worried about your data privacy, you can quickly turn off the Windows 10 keylogger from the Settings page.
1. Press the Start button on your taskbar.
2. Choose Settings from the list of options.
3. Navigate to the Privacy tab.
4. Go to the Inking & Personalization section.
5. You’ll land on a Getting to know you section, where Microsoft explains that Windows and Cortana use your voice and writing patterns in order to make better suggestions.
Toggle it off to clear all the collected data from your device and inking dictionary.
6. Now, navigate to Privacy > Diagnostics and Feedback.
7. Under Diagnostic data, select Required diagnostic data. In doing so, you will turn off the Windows 10 keylogger and prevent it from sending information about your PC to Microsoft.
After you make this choice, the Improve inking and typing setting will be automatically turned off as well.
If you upgraded your OS, we have a dedicated guide on how to disable the keylogger in Windows 11 that you can check out.
Switch to another OS to ensure your privacy
However, many users are convinced that all the workarounds used to block Windows 10 from sending private data to Microsoft don’t actually work. As a result, they have decided to switch to Linux.
This is not a surprising piece of news, as a recent survey confirmed that 60% of Windows users would consider switching to macOS for more privacy.
We hope that our article helped you find out more about the built-in keylogger on Windows 10 and the steps you need to follow to disable it.
