Windows 11 has a default, hidden clipboard history feature that syncs sensitive copied data to the cloud, posing a significant privacy risk that can be mitigated by disabling and clearing this feature.
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If you're running Windows 11 right now,
Microsoft is collecting data about
everything you do on your computer. And
I'm not talking about the obvious
telemetry settings everyone knows about.
There's a hidden tracking feature buried
deep in your system that's recording
your clipboard history, syncing it to
the cloud, and keeping a detailed log of
everything you copy and paste. Your
passwords, your bank details, your
private messages, all potentially
exposed. I'm going to show you exactly
where this is, why it's dangerous, and
how to disable it in the next 60
seconds. Before we proceed, here is a
quick disclaimer. This video is for
educational purposes to help you protect
your digital privacy. I'm showing you
settings that exist in Windows 11. What
you choose to do with this information
is entirely up to you. That said, let's
dive in.
Here's what most people don't realize.
Windows 11 has a feature called
clipboard history that's enabled by
default. Every time you hit control + C,
Windows isn't just copying that text
temporarily. It's storing it in a
searchable database on your computer.
and syncing it across all your devices
through your Microsoft account.
Press Windows key plus V right now and
you'll see everything you've copied recently.
Seems convenient, right? But here's the
problem. This data is being synced to
Microsoft's cloud servers. That means
your clipboard history, which could
contain passwords, credit card numbers,
private conversations, or sensitive work
documents, is leaving your computer. And
even worse, if someone gains access to
your Microsoft account, they can see
your entire clipboard history from any
device. This is a massive privacy risk
that most users have no idea exists.
Here's exactly how to disable this right
now. Follow along with me.
Step one, disable clipboard history.
Step two, clear existing clipboard data.
In the same window, click clear next to
This deletes everything Windows has
already stored.
Step three, verify cloud sync is disabled.
disabled.
Make sure other Windows settings is unchecked.
This prevents clipboard data from being
backed up to one drive. Done. Your
clipboard is now private again.
Everything you copy stays only in
temporary memory and gets wiped when you
copy something new. Exactly how it
should work. These three changes alone
will dramatically reduce how much data
Microsoft collects about your daily
computer usage. If this video helped you
take back control of your privacy, smash
that like button and subscribe for more
Windows security tips. I post a new
privacy tutorial every week showing you
exactly which settings to change and
why. Drop a comment below telling me
which Windows 11 privacy feature you
want me to cover next. I read every
single comment and your suggestions
directly influence what I make. Thanks
for watching and see you in the next one.
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