(Credit: Dragon Claws / Shutterstock)
Like most other AI chatbots, Microsoft Copilot wants to collect your data. One reason it does this is to personalize its responses, but it also uses your chats to train its model. Though Microsoft promises that the information is anonymous, you may still want to limit what Copilot knows about you. Thankfully, you can tap into a variety of privacy settings to control how much or how little data the AI scoops up. Here’s how I control my privacy with Copilot and how you can as well.
Access Your Privacy Settings
You can access your privacy settings from the Copilot website, desktop app, and mobile app. Changing any of your privacy settings on one platform or app automatically changes them the same way on all the others. From the Copilot website, sign in with your Microsoft account, and click the Open Sidebar button at the top if the sidebar is not visible. Click your profile image at the bottom, select your name and address, and then click Privacy.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)In the Copilot Windows app, you'll need to click your profile image, select Settings, and then click Privacy. For Mac users, Microsoft refers to the privacy settings as Data Control. On the iOS and Android app, tap the three-lined hamburger icon, select your image, then tap Account > Privacy.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)1. Opt Out of Model Training
If you're worried about Microsoft using your interactions to train its model, there are two settings to check: Model training on text and Model training on voice. If enabled, both allow your interactions and chats with Copilot to be used by Microsoft to help train the AI. The first setting refers to your text-based conversations and the second to your conversations through Copilot Voice. Though your chats are supposed to be private and anonymized, I still don’t want them collected and analyzed for training. That’s why I turned off both of these settings.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)2. Tell Copilot to Forget
With the Memory setting (called Personalization on Mac), Copilot will remember certain details about you from your conversations and can use those in the future for more personalized responses. For example, the AI may recall your name, profession, interests, family members, pets, and other information that you mention in a chat. Things like your age, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, health-related information, and political affiliations are supposed to be off-limits. Copilot might also use your activities in Bing and MSN to further tailor your conversations.
I’ve always been on the fence regarding this particular setting. I like the way Copilot can take certain details about me into account, especially if I’m seeking advice or information on a personal matter. However, I still worry about this option infringing on my privacy, which is why I ultimately decided to turn it off.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)3. Manage Your Chat History
Another setting available on Copilot is the ability to view and edit the history of your chats. By default, Copilot keeps a history of all your conversations so that you can refer to previous ones. You can view a prior conversation and also continue where you left off if you wish to ask follow-up questions or otherwise continue the thread.
To review your past chats, return to the main screen and move down the left sidebar. Select the name of a specific conversation to view or continue it. Otherwise, choose the three-dot icon next to a conversation or simply right-click the name. From the menu, you’re able to rename it, share it, or delete it. You may want to delete a conversation if you need longer need it or it contains sensitive or confidential information.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)At the Copilot website, a few additional commands are accessible from the menu. You can invite someone else to join the conversation, share a static version of the conversation with another person, summarize the conversation in a created web page, or report a concern about the conversation.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)To remove your entire history, choose Export or Delete History (also called View, Export, or Delete History in some locations). That will take you to a Microsoft web page where you’re prompted to sign in with your Microsoft account. You can then manage your Copilot activity history by exporting or deleting the content for the Copilot apps.
Should you delete your past conversations or leave them alone? Having a history of your chats can be handy, but those chats can still be viewed by automated bots and Microsoft employees on the hunt for threats, security risks, and other hazards. Personally, I try to avoid discussing anything too sensitive or private in a conversation, especially if that means revealing information I’d rather keep secret. While I don’t delete all my conversations, since I often need to search for and refer back to previous ones, I will delete chats that I no longer necessary or have inadvertently touched upon a personal issue.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)4. Delete Copilot's Memory
If you had previously enabled Memory and no longer want Copilot to retain the details about you and your life, you can delete that information everywhere except through the Copilot Mac app. At the website or any of the other apps, go back to the Privacy section, select Delete memory, and then choose Delete memory. Microsoft currently offers no way to view the items in memory, but if you’re concerned about the AI knowing too much about you, I recommend deleting the memory as I’ve done in the past.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)5. Manage Shared Conversations
Available on the Copilot website, Windows app, and Android app, the setting for Manage Shared Conversations or Manage Shared Links lets you view and delete any chats you’ve shared with people in the past. You may decide to remove the link if you no longer want to share the conversation. To do this, select Manage Shared Conversations or Manage Shared Links, select a specific conversation, then select the X or trash can icon and choose Revoke. Doing so removes the link but retains the conversation.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)6. Don't Let Copilot Message You
Accessible only in the Copilot mobile app, Proactivity is a tricky setting. As described, this one would allow Copilot to proactively messages you. That means you could receive notifications from the app based on how you use it. I’m not quite sure what’s going on behind the scenes for this to work. But when in doubt, I preferred to disable this one.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)7. Turn Off Data Sharing and Ad Personalization
Finally, the Windows Copilot app kicks in two additional settings—Diagnostic Data Sharing and Ad Personalization. I turn off both settings, especially the one for Ad Personalization as I simply don’t want Microsoft using my data to serve me any more ads.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Though reviewing and managing your privacy in Copilot requires some time and effort, doing so is important. Once you customize the settings the way you want, you can use Copilot knowing that your conversations and personal details are as protected as possible.