Microsoft Privacy Dashboard: What to Review and Clear
If you use a Microsoft account, Windows, Edge or Bing, the privacy dashboard shows what is stored about you and lets you clear it.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 21, 2026The Microsoft privacy dashboard, at account.microsoft.com/privacy, lets you view and clear data such as Bing and Cortana searches, Microsoft Edge browsing, location, voice, media and app and service activity. Clearing it deletes it from the dashboard and starts removing it from Microsoft’s systems. It does not clear cookie-related activity, which you must clear in your browser. Ad settings are managed on a separate page.
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Microsoft collects activity across Windows, Edge, Bing and other services tied to your account. The privacy dashboard is the central place to see and manage it.
What you can view
Microsoft’s support page on the privacy dashboard says the dashboard gives tools to view your data, including data from Bing and Cortana searches, Microsoft Edge browsing, and location, voice, media and apps and services activity.
What you can clear
You can clear this data. The page says that when you do, Microsoft will delete it from the dashboard and begin removing it from its systems. The page does not describe a download option, so check the dashboard itself if you want a copy.
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Where to go
- Activity history: the privacy dashboard home page at account.microsoft.com/privacy.
- Ad settings: account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings.
What clearing does not do
The support page notes that clearing app and service data does not remove cookie-related activity. For that, you should clear cookies in Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer. Data also may not appear unless you signed in with your Microsoft account, and it may be slow to show if your device is offline, on a metered connection or in battery saver mode.
A review routine
1Sign in to your Microsoft account
Go to account.microsoft.com/privacy.
2Look at each category
Check browsing, search, location, voice, media and app activity.
3Clear what you do not need
Delete categories you do not want stored.
4Review ad settings
Open the ad settings page and choose what suits you.
5Clear browser cookies
Do this in the browser itself.
6Repeat every few months
New activity builds up over time.
What is worth clearing first
If you only have a few minutes, look at search and browsing history, location activity and voice data. These reveal habits and movements more directly than most other categories. Then check which apps and devices are connected to the account and remove any you no longer use.
Work and school accounts
If your Microsoft account belongs to an employer or school, the administrator may control some settings and data. Ask your IT team what is kept and for how long, and use a separate personal account for personal browsing.
Make it a routine
Set a reminder to review the dashboard when you review other accounts, such as Google and Apple. A short, regular review is more effective than a one-off clean-up.
Ads and personalisation
Microsoft keeps ad settings on a separate page. Decide whether you want ads personalised from your activity, and switch the option off if you do not. This reduces how much of your activity is used to shape what you see, although it does not delete what has been collected.
Devices and apps
Check which devices are signed in to your account and remove ones you no longer use. Do the same for apps that have access to your account. Old devices and forgotten apps are common ways data stays exposed long after you stopped using them.
Why bother
Stored search and location history can reveal your routines, interests and movements. It is part of your digital footprint, and it can be exposed if an account is hacked. Pair this with the same review for Google (what Google knows about you) and a check of the rest of your digital footprint.
Microsoft changes names and menus over time, so use the labels you see on the dashboard.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: View your data on the privacy dashboard (data categories, clearing, ad settings page, cookie caveat, display tips)
Frequently asked questions
What is the Microsoft privacy dashboard?
A page at account.microsoft.com/privacy where you can view and clear data Microsoft stores about your account activity.
What data can I clear?
Data such as Bing and Cortana searches, Edge browsing, location, voice, media and app and service activity.
Does clearing remove cookies?
No. You need to clear cookies in your browser separately.
Where are the ad settings?
On a separate page at account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings.
Do I need to be signed in?
Data may not appear unless you signed in with your Microsoft account.
See if your email has already leaked
- Checks your email against known data breaches
- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
- We do not store the email you check
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