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Windows Insiders get first look at new privacy screen settings layout coming to Windows 10

Written By published March 6, 2018



Today, our Windows Insiders will get the first look at the new privacy set up experience coming to Windows 10 this spring, and we’re excited to hear what they think. Windows Insiders are among the first people to experience the new ideas and concepts we’re building in the next version of Windows 10. In return, we get to hear what they think, to help us make Windows the best it can be for our customers.

This spring, Microsoft will release an update to Windows 10 that will include changes to the setup experience for privacy settings. This new design conveys focused information to help our customers make focused choices about their privacy and offers two new settings for Inking & Typing and Find my device.

For our Windows Insiders who install today’s build, they’ll be able to experience this new set up for the first time. Not everyone will experience the same setup, however. For example, some will review their settings through a single screen set up where selections such as ‘Find My Device’ and’ Inking & typing’ are independent selections.

Choose privacy settings for your device screen for Windows Insiders
New single screen set up layout.

Others will receive seven individual screens, each dedicated to a single privacy setting with the recommended Microsoft selection for the best Windows 10 experience distinguished by a dotted line. They will need to select a choice and then click accept to move to the next screen.

In this example, Find My Device is shown on its own screen during set up. Microsoft recommends selecting Yes, depicted by the dotted line box, to allow us to use the device’s location data to help the customer find the device if it’s lost.

Find my device screen for Windows Insiders.
New single screen for ‘Find my device’.

These customers will also now be given a separate screen to enable improved inking and typing recognition. By enabling improved inking and typing, customers help us improve suggestion capabilities of applications and services running on Windows such as handwriting recognition, autocompletion, next word prediction and spelling correction in the many languages used by Windows customers.

Enabling improve inking & typing recognition allows for improved text suggestions.
Enabling improve inking & typing recognition allows for improved text suggestions.

By offering multiple experiences to our Insiders, we’re able to hear multiple points of view, along with preferences on the best set up experience that showcases privacy set up choices. We’re excited about the new Windows 10 update coming this spring that will deliver these new privacy set up experiences. All customers can review and update their privacy settings at any time in Start > Settings > Privacy.

Windows offers previews to people who sign up for our Windows Insider program so they can provide us feedback while the product is still in development. By better understanding how they use Windows 10, and listening to their feedback, they help us build better products that more people and organizations will enjoy.

If you’d like to join our Windows Insider Program and provide us feedback, you can find out more information and join at Insider.windows.com.

-Marisa