To disable Activity History on Windows 10 and 11, open Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history, turn off Store my activity history on this device, and click Clear history. To make the change permanent across Windows updates, also add the registry value PublishUserActivities (DWORD, set to 0) under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System. After restarting, Windows will no longer record the apps you open, the files you work on, or the sites you visit.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 18, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Activity History tracks the apps you open, files you work on, and sites you browse — it powers Windows Timeline and the “Pick up where you left off” feature.
- The Settings app turns it off instantly via Privacy & security > Activity history, but Windows updates have been known to flip this back on.
- The Registry method is permanent — setting
PublishUserActivitiesto0underHKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Systemapplies it as a system policy that survives updates. - Group Policy is the cleanest option on Pro/Enterprise editions, but Home editions need the Registry method since gpedit.msc is not available.
- Winhance disables this automatically alongside other privacy settings like the Windows Advertising ID and telemetry, with no manual registry edits required.
Quick Steps
- Open Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history.
- Turn off Store my activity history on this device.
- Click Clear history to wipe what Windows already collected.
- For a permanent policy that survives updates, open Registry Editor and navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System. - Create three DWORD (32-bit) values —
EnableActivityFeed,PublishUserActivities, andUploadUserActivities— all set to0. - Restart your PC.
What Is Activity History and Why Disable It?
Activity History is a Windows feature that quietly tracks what you do on your PC — the apps you open, the files you work on, and the websites you browse — and stores that information locally. Depending on your settings, it can also sync the data to Microsoft’s servers through your Microsoft account. It was introduced to power features like Windows Timeline and the “Pick up where you left off” prompts in the Start menu.
Most people have no idea this is even running. Back when I was doing computer repairs and setups every day, activity tracking was one of those features that was on by default and almost never discussed. If you value your privacy and you do not want Windows logging your daily activity, turning it off makes sense — and it fits into the same category as disabling Windows telemetry or disabling the Windows Advertising ID.
Turning it off via the Settings app is the quickest option, but Windows updates have been known to flip that toggle back on. The Registry method applies the change as a system policy, which means Windows respects it even after major feature updates.
In This Guide
This guide covers three different methods to disable Activity History on Windows 10 and 11:
- Method 1: Settings App — Quickest way to turn it off and clear existing data. Works on every edition.
- Method 2: Group Policy Editor — Clean UI for Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Not available on Home.
- Method 3: Registry Editor — Permanent policy that survives Windows updates. Works on every edition, including Home. (Recommended for long-term privacy.)
Method 1: Disable Activity History in the Settings App
The Settings app is the fastest way to turn Activity History off and wipe what Windows has already collected. It works on every edition of Windows 10 and Windows 11, but the toggle can be reset by a Windows feature update — so use this as a first pass, then back it up with the Registry method below.
- Press Win + I to open Settings.
- Go to Privacy & security > Activity history. On Windows 10 this lives under Privacy > Activity history.
- Turn off Store my activity history on this device.
- Under Clear activity history for this account, click Clear history. This removes the data Windows already stored locally.
- If you sign in with a Microsoft account, also visit the Microsoft account privacy dashboard and clear the activity data stored on Microsoft’s servers.
Note: The Settings toggle and the Registry policy are independent. If you only use the Settings toggle and a Windows update later re-enables the feature, Activity History will start collecting again. Applying the Registry method as well makes sure the off-state sticks.
Method 2: Disable Activity History with Group Policy Editor
Group Policy gives you a clean UI for the same registry changes covered in Method 3. It is available on Windows 10 and 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. If you are on Windows Home, skip to Method 3 — gpedit.msc is not included on Home editions, and trying to install it manually can cause more problems than it solves.
- Press Win + R, type
gpedit.msc, and press Enter. - Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > OS Policies.
- Double-click Enables Activity Feed, set it to Disabled, and click OK.
- Double-click Allow publishing of User Activities, set it to Disabled, and click OK.
- Double-click Allow upload of User Activities, set it to Disabled, and click OK.
- Close Group Policy Editor and restart your PC.
After the restart, Activity History will be disabled at the system-policy level and the toggle in the Settings app will be greyed out with a message saying the setting is managed by your organization. That is expected — it confirms the policy is in effect.
Method 3: Disable Activity History with Registry Editor
The Registry method applies the same three policies as Group Policy, but works on every edition of Windows including Home. Because the values live under the Policies key, Windows treats them as system-managed settings — they survive Windows updates that would otherwise reset preferences in the Settings app.
Tip: Editing the registry incorrectly can cause issues. Before you start, consider exporting the
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windowskey to a.regfile (File > Export) so you can restore it if anything goes wrong.
Step 1: Open Registry Editor
Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter. If a User Account Control prompt appears asking for permission to make changes, click Yes.
Step 2: Navigate to the Policies Key
Copy the path below, paste it into the Registry Editor address bar at the top of the window, and press Enter to jump directly to the key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SystemIf the System key does not exist under Windows, right-click the Windows folder, select New > Key, and name it System. Then click into the new key.
Step 3: Create the Three DWORD Values
With the System key selected, right-click on any empty space in the right panel and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Create each of the following values, leaving each one set to 0 (which is the default for a new DWORD):
EnableActivityFeed— set to0PublishUserActivities— set to0UploadUserActivities— set to0
To verify a value, double-click it — the Value data field should show 0 and the Base should be Hexadecimal. Click OK to confirm.
Step 4 (Optional): Apply All Three with One Command
If you would rather skip the manual edits, open Command Prompt or Terminal as Administrator (right-click the Start button) and paste the command below. It creates all three DWORD values in one go and overwrites them if they already exist:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System" /v EnableActivityFeed /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f && reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System" /v PublishUserActivities /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f && reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System" /v UploadUserActivities /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /fYou should see The operation completed successfully. printed three times. If you get Access is denied, you opened the terminal as a normal user — close it and reopen as Administrator.
Step 5: Restart Your PC
Restart your computer for all three policies to take effect. After the restart, Windows will no longer record Activity History locally and will not upload it to Microsoft’s servers. The toggle in Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history will be greyed out, confirming the policy is being enforced.
The Easier Way: Use Winhance
If you would rather not touch the registry at all, Winhance is the free open-source Windows enhancement utility I built. It disables Activity History automatically as part of its privacy presets, alongside other common Windows data-collection features like Windows telemetry, the Advertising ID, and News and Interests. One click flips the same registry policies covered here, and you can revert every change from the same screen.
If you are also rethinking your sign-in setup, my guide on the differences between a Windows local account and a Microsoft account covers what each account type syncs and which is the better choice for privacy.
Common Issues and Fixes
Registry Editor says “Access Denied” when creating values. The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive requires administrator permissions. Close Registry Editor, search for it in the Start menu, right-click the result, and choose Run as administrator.
The Settings toggle is greyed out and shows “Some of these settings are managed by your organization.” That is expected after applying the Group Policy or Registry method — Windows is honouring the policy you set. It is not a sign that something is wrong.
The values disappeared after a Windows feature update. Because the values live under the Policies key, they should survive feature updates. If they do get cleared, re-run the single reg add command from Method 3, Step 4 to put them back.
I want Windows Timeline back. Either delete the three DWORD values (or set them to 1) and turn the Settings toggle back on. Timeline data will rebuild as you use your PC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling Activity History affect PC performance?
No. There is no negative performance impact. Disabling Activity History actually removes a small amount of background processing, since Windows is no longer logging the apps you open and uploading activity records to Microsoft’s servers.
Will any Windows features stop working after I turn this off?
Windows Timeline and the “Pick up where you left off” suggestions in the Start menu will no longer surface previous apps or documents, because those features depend on Activity History data. Everything else — file history, recently opened files in individual apps, Microsoft Edge browsing history — continues to work normally.
Does the Registry method work on Windows 10 and 11 Home?
Yes. The Registry Editor method works on every edition of Windows 10 and 11, including Home. The Group Policy Editor is not available on Home editions, but the three DWORD values applied via Registry Editor achieve exactly the same result.
Can I re-enable Activity History later if I change my mind?
Yes. Open Registry Editor, navigate back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System, and either delete the three DWORD values or change their data from 0 to 1. Restart your PC, then turn the toggle back on under Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history.
Does this also delete activity data already stored on Microsoft’s servers?
No. The registry policy only stops Windows from uploading new activity data — it does not touch what is already on Microsoft’s side. To clear that, sign into the Microsoft account privacy dashboard, open the Activity history section, and clear the data for each device tied to your account.
