Settings
The latest Settings coverage — news, analysis, and updates from the WindowsNews.AI desk.
AI Chatbots Now Train on Your Conversations by Default – Here’s How to Protect Your Privacy
Anthropic’s decision to switch Claude’s default settings and begin tapping consumer chat data for model training has jolted the AI world, forcing users to take immediate steps if they want to...
Windows 11 Mobile Plans App Retirement Set for February 2026: What It Means for eSIM Users
Microsoft is pulling the plug on the Windows 11 Mobile Plans app, a little-used gateway for buying cellular data on always-connected PCs, and pushing users toward carrier websites and the native...
Microsoft's Mobile Plans App Meets Its End on February 27, 2026: eSIM Moves to Settings
Microsoft has set a date for the Mobile Plans app's demise: February 27, 2026. After that, the app vanishes from the Microsoft Store, and users of eSIM-equipped Windows laptops will need to head to...
How to Audit Windows 10 Updates Like a Pro: 3 Methods, Hidden Logs, and Troubleshooting Traps
Windows 10’s October 2025 end-of-support date is looming, and with it, the nagging feeling that every update matters more than ever. Whether you’re a home user verifying that a security patch...
Windows 11’s ‘God Mode’ Master Control Panel: The Hidden Shortcut That Saves Power Users Dozens of Clicks
A single hidden folder name unlocks a comprehensive index of over 200 Windows settings, administrative tools, and troubleshooting utilities — and it has been hiding in plain sight for more than a...
PowerToys 0.93 Brings Faster Command Palette, but the Missing Settings Search Is Coming in v0.94
Microsoft has rolled out PowerToys version 0.93, a significant update that overhauls the Settings dashboard with a Windows 11-style card layout and supercharges the Command Palette with ahead-of-time...
Microsoft’s Hidden Repair Wizards: Mastering Windows 11’s Built-In Troubleshooters for Wi-Fi, Audio, and More
When your Wi-Fi drops out mid-meeting or your printer flatlines just before a deadline, reaching for a nuclear option like a system reset feels like admitting defeat. But Windows 11 ships with a...
Windows 11 Beta Build 26120.5761 brings Apple Handoff-style Resume for Android and windowed screen recording
Microsoft has pushed a new Windows 11 Insider preview build to the Beta Channel, packing a cross-device Resume feature that mimics Apple Handoff for Android apps, alongside long-awaited Snipping Tool...
How to Reclaim Your Privacy: Disabling Windows 11's Telemetry, Ad ID, and App Permissions
Microsoft ships Windows 11 with multiple data-collection mechanisms enabled by default, feeding everything from crash reports to behavioral patterns back to its servers. But a closer look at the...
Windows 11 Canary Build 27928 Forces Microsoft Account Setup as Copilot Gets Voice Boost
Microsoft’s latest Canary test build for Windows 11, version 27928, lands with a quiet but contentious policy change: it removes a long-used command-line workaround that allowed users to skip...
Microsoft Testing Semantic File Search with On-Device AI on Copilot+ PCs for Insiders
Microsoft has begun rolling out a targeted update to the Copilot app for Windows Insiders, delivering semantic file search exclusively to Copilot+ PCs and introducing a redesigned Copilot homepage....
Microsoft Tests Start Menu Copilot Prompts, Sparking Ad Creep Debate in Windows 11
Microsoft is once again blurring the line between helpful operating system features and integrated advertising, this time by testing AI-powered Copilot prompts inside the Windows 11 Start menu. The...