Microsoft declutters Windows 11 File Explorer in the name of Euro privacy

Also hammers another nail into Cortana's coffin with the end of Location History

Microsoft had a Valentine's Day gift for Windows Insiders, firing another arrow into the heart of Cortana while also attempting to soothe European privacy concerns.

The Windows 11 24H2 preview build, 26120.3281, was released to the Dev and Beta channels and included the removal of the Location History API.

Announced as deprecated a few days earlier, the API allowed Cortana – Microsoft's attempt at an assistant before everything became Copilot – to access 24 hours of device history if location was enabled.

Cortana is no more, and now neither is the API. According to Microsoft: "With the removal of the Location History feature, location data will no longer be saved locally, and the corresponding settings are also being removed from Settings > Privacy & security > Location page."

We asked Microsoft if that meant location data would still be saved remotely, but the company has yet to respond.

The other change, aimed at meeting European privacy rules, is to disable account-based content in File Explorer. The change applies to Entra IDs in the European Economic Area (EEA) and will affect Recent, Favorites, Details Pane, and Recommended content.

The change is logical. The sections require user data to show content, be it recently used files or recommendations based on user activity. While there is an argument that poking around user data to provide this information improves workflows, there is also the risk that sensitive data might be exposed, and the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) stomped over.

And so, for Entra ID accounts in the EEA, these features have been removed from File Explorer, with the side effect of a decluttered interface and a possible, albeit slight, performance boost since File Explorer no longer has to gather data to display.

Along with the usual raft of fixes, Microsoft is also rolling out functionality that allows users to resume OneDrive files from a phone to a PC with a single click. And it warned that an imminent update to Recall will delete a user's existing snapshots - all of them. The company said: "This important update will improve your experience."

There is no indication if or when these updates will make it to the generally available version of Windows 11. While Microsoft releases Windows 11 24H2 previews for Dev and Beta channels, users can switch channels. However, it is essential to remember that there is no guarantee of stability, even in the Beta channel. ®