How to Turn Off the 'Your Privacy Matters' Notification in Office 365
Question details
The user wants to permanently disable the 'Your privacy matters' pop-up in Microsoft Office applications without creating a privacy policy.
- Product
- Microsoft Office 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint and encountering repetitive privacy notices.
- Observed behavior
- The 'Your privacy matters' notification repeatedly appears and disrupts the user's workflow.
Ensure you have saved all open documents before proceeding, as you will need to restart your Office applications to apply the new privacy settings.
Disable Optional Connected Experiences in Trust Center
Turning off optional connected experiences in the Trust Center will prevent the privacy notification from appearing upon startup.
Microsoft displays the privacy notification to inform users about data collection for connected experiences. By opting out of these optional connected experiences, you can stop the pop-up from repeatedly appearing.
Launch any Microsoft Office application, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, and open a blank document.
Click on 'File' in the top-left corner, select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu, and click on 'Trust Center' in the left pane of the Options dialog box. Then, click the 'Trust Center Settings' button.
In the Trust Center window, select 'Privacy Options' from the left menu, and then click the 'Privacy Settings' button.
Scroll down the privacy settings list until you find the 'Optional connected experiences' section. Clear the checkbox next to 'Turn on optional connected experiences' and click 'OK'.
Close all open Office applications and reopen them to ensure the changes take effect and the pop-up is successfully disabled.
Switch to WPS Office for a Distraction-Free Experience
Tired of repetitive notifications and complicated privacy settings in Microsoft Office? WPS Office offers a clean, lightweight, and completely free alternative that seamlessly handles all your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files without the hassle.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for your device.
- 2. Install and Launch: Run the installer, follow the on-screen instructions, and launch the application.
- 3. Open Your Office Files: Simply double-click your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files to open them seamlessly in WPS Office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the 'Your privacy matters' pop-up keep appearing?
Microsoft requires users to acknowledge privacy policies related to connected experiences. If the settings fail to sync or if a software update resets your preferences, the notification may reappear until you manually disable the optional connected experiences again.
Will turning off connected experiences affect my Office features?
Yes, disabling optional connected experiences will turn off certain cloud-powered features, such as inserting online pictures, using smart lookup, or utilizing cloud-based translation tools.
What should I do if the Privacy Settings button is grayed out?
If the Privacy Settings are grayed out or inaccessible, your Office applications are likely managed by your organization's IT department. You will need to contact your IT administrator to adjust these group policies.
Can I disable this privacy notification on a Mac?
Yes. Open an Office app on your Mac, go to the application menu (e.g., Word > Preferences), select 'Privacy', and uncheck the option to enable connected experiences.
