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Where is Device usage in Windows 11? Open Settings > Personalization > Device usage. Turn on the categories that describe how you use the PC, then close Settings. Windows 11 can use those choices to tailor tips, recommendations, and some promotional suggestions. You can change the selections or opt out later from the same page.
What Device usage controls
Device usage is a group of preference switches in Windows 11 Personalization settings. The switches tell Windows which activities are relevant to you, such as development, gaming, schoolwork, creativity, entertainment, family use, or business work. Microsoft says these choices may influence the tips, recommendations, personalized ads, app and website suggestions, and setup prompts you see. They are preference signals, not performance modes: selecting Gaming does not change the graphics hardware, install a game, or guarantee a particular offer.
Microsoft presents the resulting experiences as possibilities rather than fixed outcomes. A category can make a relevant suggestion more likely, but a prompt or offer may not appear on every computer. The services and recommendations associated with a category can change over time, so the examples below describe the behavior Microsoft documents rather than a permanent list of Windows features.
Find Device usage in Windows 11
- Open Settings. You can select the Settings icon from Start, press Windows key + I, or search for “Settings” from the taskbar.
- Select Personalization in the left navigation.
- Choose Device usage. The page lists the available usage categories and a switch for each one.
- Turn on the switches that match the way you use this PC. If none apply, leave them off.
Windows may also ask about intended use during the initial device setup. Those setup answers are not permanent. Microsoft’s instructions say you can adjust them later at Settings > Personalization > Device usage, so you do not need to select a category simply to finish setup.
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Choose the categories that fit your PC
You can select more than one category when a computer has several roles. For example, a family laptop used for homework and streaming can have both School and Entertainment enabled. Select only categories that remain useful; enabling every switch does not unlock extra Windows functionality and may produce suggestions that are irrelevant to you.
| Category | Microsoft’s documented example | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Development | Windows may offer Dev Home to help set up the PC for development. | This is a possible setup suggestion, not an automatic installation or a guarantee that Dev Home will be offered. |
| Gaming | You may see an Xbox Game Pass trial offer or suggestions for apps and sites popular with gamers. | The category can tailor recommendations toward gaming; it does not change game settings or promise a trial. |
| Family | Windows may notify you about setting up a Microsoft family group. | The switch can surface family-related guidance; it does not create a family group by itself. |
| Creativity | Windows may show related app and website suggestions. | Suggestions may be oriented toward creative work, with no guarantee that a particular app or site appears. |
| School | You may receive suggestions to store school files in OneDrive. | This is a possible storage recommendation, not an automatic move of your files. |
| Entertainment | Windows may suggest pinning entertainment apps and sites. | The suggestion concerns Start or taskbar-style access; it does not pin anything without your action. |
| Business | Windows may offer a Microsoft 365 Business trial. | An offer may be presented; selecting the category does not start a subscription. |
Microsoft describes all of these as examples of what you might receive. Availability can depend on the device, account, region, software state, and the services Microsoft is offering at the time. Treat an offer as optional and read its terms before accepting it.
How to turn categories on or off
Enable a category
- Go to Settings > Personalization > Device usage.
- Find the category you want, such as Gaming or School.
- Select its toggle so it shows the on position.
- Repeat for any other category that describes your use.
There is no requirement to select a single “main” activity. If your needs change, you can add another category without resetting Windows or creating a new user account.
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Disable a category
- Open Settings > Personalization > Device usage.
- Locate the category you no longer want to use.
- Select its toggle to move it to the off position.
- Review the remaining switches and turn off any others that no longer apply.
Turning a switch off stops that category from being an active Device usage preference. It does not uninstall applications, remove files, cancel a subscription, or undo an action you already took after seeing a recommendation. Handle those items separately in the relevant app, account, or Windows settings.
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Turn off personalized suggestions and ads related to Device usage
The most direct way to stop Device usage-based tailoring is to turn off every category on the Device usage page. This removes the usage choices that Windows can use for category-specific tips and recommendations. Microsoft says users can “opt out or change your device usage options any time,” according to Microsoft Support.
Device usage is only one source of personalization in Windows. If you still see recommendations after all categories are off, the item may be controlled by another Windows or app setting rather than Device usage. Check the wording of the prompt and the settings page it opens before assuming the Device usage switches failed. The Device usage guide does not document a single master switch for every type of Windows recommendation or explain all underlying data-processing controls, so do not describe the category toggles as a universal advertising opt-out.
What happens after you select a category?
Tips and recommendations
Microsoft says Windows may tailor tips and recommendations to the activities you select. A Gaming choice could make gaming-related apps or sites more prominent; Creativity could result in creative-tool suggestions; and School could lead to a OneDrive storage suggestion for school files. These are contextual recommendations, not changes to your account permissions or hardware configuration.
Offers and notifications
Some documented examples are offers or notifications: a possible Dev Home setup prompt for Development, an Xbox Game Pass trial offer for Gaming, a family-group notification for Family, or a Microsoft 365 Business trial offer for Business. Selecting a category does not accept an offer. You must review and act on each prompt yourself, and the prompt may never appear.
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Pinned apps and websites
For Entertainment, Microsoft gives possible pinned-app suggestions. A suggestion is not the same as an automatic pin. If Windows offers to pin an app or site, you can decline it, remove the pin later, or leave the suggestion untouched. The Creativity category can similarly produce app or site suggestions without installing or opening them automatically.
Cloud-storage suggestions
The School example mentions a suggestion to store school files in OneDrive. Device usage does not, by itself, move documents or change existing sync folders. Before enabling synchronization, confirm which account is signed in, how much cloud storage is available, and whether your school or employer has its own storage policy.
Privacy and data-sharing limits of the documented guidance
Microsoft’s Windows 11 guide states that it does not share Device usage data with third parties. That statement is specific to the guide’s description of this feature. The same guidance does not explain technical collection, retention, profiling, or processing details, and it does not list OS-build-specific differences. Therefore, the documented assurance should not be expanded into a claim that every Windows personalization signal is handled identically.
If privacy is your priority, leave all Device usage categories off and review other privacy and personalization controls separately. Use the exact labels shown on your Windows installation, because Microsoft can revise settings names and recommendation systems in later updates.
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Change your choices when your needs change
Device usage is designed to be reversible. A computer can start as a School device, become a Development workstation, and later be used primarily for Entertainment without reinstalling Windows. Return to Settings > Personalization > Device usage whenever your role changes, then switch categories on or off.
- New job or project: enable Development or Business only if those recommendations are useful.
- End of a course: turn off School if you no longer want school-related suggestions.
- Shared family computer: choose Family only when family-management guidance is relevant to the people using the device.
- Reduced personalization: turn off every category and handle any remaining recommendations through their own settings.
Changing a switch affects future tailoring. It does not erase a file, reverse a pin you accepted, or cancel an offer you redeemed. Those actions require their own removal or cancellation steps.
Troubleshoot a missing or ineffective Device usage setting
The Device usage page is hard to find
- Open Settings and use the search box for Device usage.
- If search does not show it, navigate manually through Personalization and look for Device usage.
- Confirm that you are using Windows 11. Menu names and availability can differ on Windows editions or versions not covered by Microsoft’s guide.
A switch will not stay on
- Return to the page and verify whether the toggle actually changed position.
- Close and reopen Settings, then check again.
- Restart Windows if the page appears stale after an update.
- If the device is managed by an employer or school, an administrator policy may limit personalization choices. Ask the organization’s administrator rather than changing policy settings yourself.
You still see unrelated recommendations
First confirm that all Device usage categories are off. Then identify whether the message comes from Windows, an installed app, a browser, or an account service. Device usage controls category-based tailoring; it is not documented as a universal switch for every notification or advertisement. Follow the setting or account link provided by the specific message to manage it.
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An expected offer never appears
Microsoft’s examples are not guarantees. Offers and suggestions can depend on region, account eligibility, device state, timing, and changes to Microsoft services. Do not repeatedly toggle a category expecting a particular trial or prompt, and do not assume that its absence means the setting is broken.
Practical selection guide
| Your situation | Suggested selection | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You write software or manage development environments. | Development | May surface a Dev Home setup suggestion. |
| You play games and want gaming-oriented recommendations. | Gaming | May surface gaming apps, websites, or a Game Pass trial offer. |
| You manage a shared household PC. | Family | May show guidance for a Microsoft family group. |
| You edit images, video, music, or other creative projects. | Creativity | May tailor app and website suggestions to creative work. |
| You use the PC for classes or coursework. | School | May suggest OneDrive for school files. |
| You mainly watch or listen to media. | Entertainment | May suggest pinned entertainment apps and sites. |
| You use Microsoft services for an organization. | Business | May present a Microsoft 365 Business trial offer. |
| You want the fewest category-based suggestions. | None | Leave every Device usage toggle off. |
Important boundaries and expectations
- It is not a performance profile: Device usage does not promise faster gaming, longer battery life, or a different power plan.
- It is not an automatic installer: category examples describe possible suggestions, not guaranteed downloads, pins, or account setup.
- It is not irreversible: Microsoft says you can opt out or change the choices at any time.
- It is not a complete privacy dashboard: the guide’s no-third-party-sharing statement applies to this documented feature and does not explain every Windows personalization process.
- It is not a subscription purchase: a trial or product offer still requires your review and acceptance.
Recommended setup for most people
Start with the smallest set of categories that reflects how you use the PC today. Enable one category, observe whether its tips or recommendations are useful, and turn it off if they are distracting. If you prefer a neutral Windows experience, leave all switches off. Revisit the page after a job change, new course, or change in who uses the computer; the setting is intended to be adjusted rather than configured once and forgotten.
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