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Windows 11 has no single switch for text and image generation privacy. Start at Start > Settings > Privacy & security to control what an app can reach on your PC, such as the camera, microphone or location. Then use each app’s own controls for prompts, history, training and personalization. Those controls sit in different places, and which ones you get depends on the app and on whether you sign in with a personal account or a work or school account.
Two kinds of control, in two different places
Most confusion comes from treating these as one thing. They are not.
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| What you want to control | Where the control lives | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Device access for an app | Windows Settings > Privacy & security | Camera, microphone, location, contacts |
| Prompt handling, conversation history, training, memory and personalization | The app or service’s own settings | Microsoft Copilot privacy controls |
| Processing and storage of prompts and generated images | The vendor’s disclosure for that feature, not a toggle | Paint Image Creator, Copilot+ Paint features |
Microsoft’s Change privacy settings in Windows page describes the Windows side as choosing how much information you share with Microsoft. That is a broad statement about Windows privacy settings. It does not mean Windows exposes one control for every AI-processing purpose. Capability permissions decide whether an app can use a resource. They do not decide whether a service keeps your prompts, trains on your conversations or personalizes future answers.
Step 1: Identify the app and the account
Work out which of these you are using before you change anything:
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- Microsoft Copilot (web, desktop or mobile app).
- Image Creator in Paint.
- Copilot+ PC features in Paint, which need supported hardware.
- A third-party desktop or web app, which follows its own vendor’s rules.
Also note whether you are signed in with a personal Microsoft account or a work or school account. Microsoft’s page Microsoft Copilot for individuals: your privacy controls and choices expressly excludes work and school accounts and points to separate organizational protections. If your account comes from an employer or school, the consumer instructions below may not apply. Your administrator’s Microsoft 365 Copilot or enterprise data-protection guidance governs instead.
Step 2: Review Windows app permissions
- Open Start > Settings > Privacy & security.
- Scroll to the app permissions list and select a capability, for example Camera or Microphone.
- Turn access off for apps that do not need it, or leave it on for the ones you trust.
For image tools, the relevant capabilities depend on how you use them. An app that photographs a subject needs the camera. A voice-prompt feature may need the microphone. Microsoft says labels and pages can change as Windows updates. For example, the older General privacy page is being replaced by Recommendations & offers. If your menu looks different, look for the same capability under a nearby heading.
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Why a desktop app may be missing from the list
Microsoft’s Windows privacy settings that apps use page says these permissions mostly apply to Microsoft Store apps. Traditional desktop apps may not appear and can reach some data differently. If a generation tool you installed from outside the Store is not listed, look for privacy options inside the app itself. Do not assume that a Windows toggle you cannot find means the app has no access.
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Step 3: Review Copilot’s own privacy controls
Microsoft says the updated Copilot app for web, desktop and mobile has been available since August 18, 2026. For eligible personal accounts, its controls cover:
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- personalization and memory,
- training on your conversations,
- advertising, and
- conversation history.
Open the profile or settings area of the Copilot app and review each of these. Microsoft keeps a separate article for the older app, and that article applies only if you have not updated or downloaded the new version. Menu names can differ between the two, so check which version you have first. The sources reviewed do not give one fixed click path that holds for every build and account, and this article does not invent one.
Step 4: Understand how Paint handles prompts and images
Image Creator in Paint
According to Microsoft’s Use Image Creator in Paint to generate AI art page, this feature runs as a cloud service and requires you to sign in with a Microsoft account. Microsoft says it collects device and user identifiers plus your prompts for abuse prevention and monitoring. It says it does not store the generated images. That statement covers images only. It does not mean prompts go unprocessed or unretained for those safety purposes.
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Copilot+ PC features in Paint
Microsoft’s Use Copilot+ PC features in Paint page describes a hybrid approach for the documented features. Image generation can run on-device, with cloud-based safety systems alongside it. Microsoft says it does not store the input or the generated images. This applies to those Paint features on supported Copilot+ hardware. It does not automatically extend to other Windows generation apps. Microsoft’s Windows Copilot+ AI components page gives an overview of the components and versions on these PCs.
There is no Windows privacy toggle for either Paint feature’s processing. If you do not want prompts sent to a cloud service, the practical choice is not to use that feature. Paint’s other tools do not depend on it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Checklist
- Confirm the app, and whether the account is personal or organizational.
- Review Settings > Privacy & security for the device capabilities the app uses.
- Check whether it is a Store app or a desktop app. Desktop apps may need in-app controls.
- Review the app’s own settings for training, memory, personalization and history.
- Read the feature’s current Microsoft disclosure for how prompts and images are processed.
Turning off AI data collection in Windows 11
People often ask how to turn off AI data collection across Windows. No Windows-wide control covers every kind of generation data. You limit device access in Windows Settings, then manage prompts, history and training in each app. The steps differ by app, account type and app version, and Windows labels may not match on every device.
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