Complete Guide to Configuring Privacy in Microsoft Office

Digital privacy has become one of the biggest concerns today, especially when using applications that manage sensitive personal and professional information, as is the case with Microsoft OfficeIf you are one of those who wants to have your documents, data and usage habits under control, configure privacy in the different Office tools And in your Microsoft account, it's essential. Understanding all the possibilities Microsoft offers, as well as its limits, is key to adjusting the level of privacy to our needs, both at work and at home.

This comprehensive and easy-to-understand article carefully compiles and organizes the most relevant and up-to-date information on how to configure privacy settings in Microsoft Office. From the specific steps to change options in each application, to Tricks Lesser-known tools for deleting history, disabling personalized ads, and managing app access to your data. Get ready to discover all the tools at your disposal to strengthen your privacy and take control of your information.

Why is it so important to set privacy settings in Microsoft Office?

When we talk about privacy in Microsoft Office, we're not just referring to protecting the documents we create, but rather to controlling the entire flow of information generated and transmitted when interacting with the suite and associated services. Microsoft collects data to improve its products and provide personalized features and online services.However, many users prefer to have stricter control over what data is shared and with whom.

Furthermore, Documents and files can store personal information —such as author names, companies, hidden comments, and locations—that can even be unintentionally shared when sending a file. For this reason, setting up privacy involves a combination of actions, from adjusting internal Office settings to reviewing and modifying Microsoft account privacy and cloud permissions, such as OneDrive.

Privacy options in newer versions of Microsoft Office

One of the main ways to manage privacy in Office is to correctly configure the options included in the program itself. So much Microsoft 365, such as Office 2021, 2019 and 2016 for Windows, allow easy access to privacy controls through the so-called Trust Center.

• Step 1: Open any Office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and click on File > Options.
• Step 2: Click on Trust Center > Trust Center Settings.
• Step 3: Go to Privacy options and adjust the boxes according to your preferences.

In the Trust Center you will find several important settings, for example:

• Allow Office to send personal information to Microsoft to help improve the product. If you prefer not to share anonymous usage data, please disable this option.
• Allow Office to connect to online services to offer personalized functionality, such as translations or references. You can limit this connectivity if your priority is maximum privacy.

Each section within the Trust Center also allows you to manage specific issues such as personal information in the files, search and reference options and document-specific settings. For example, you can decide whether you want personal information automatically removed from file properties when you save them or whether you prefer to do it manually using the Document Inspector tool.

Control document privacy in Office

When you create or edit documents in Office, they may contain metadata that you don't always want to share, especially if you're sending a file outside your organization or to someone else. In Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even Outlook, you can manage the personal information associated with documents..

How do I edit or delete personal information from documents?

• In each application, access Preferences (o Options on Windows).
• Go to the section User information o Privacy , where you can edit or delete the author's name, initials, and other personal information.
• To remove it from a specific document, activate the option Remove personal information from this file when saving. This way, every time you save the file, the personal fields will be deleted.
• Also use the Document Inspector tab File > Information > Check for Problems > Inspect Document to detect and eliminate hidden information.

Tip: If you're working in a shared environment or with older versions of Office, be aware of permission inheritance settings and the possibility that some personal data may be retained if the file was previously created or edited with other privacy options.

Managing privacy in OneDrive and shared files

Microsoft Office is deeply integrated with OneDrive and SharePoint, making it easy to share and work on documents collaboratively. By default, your OneDrive libraries are private and only you can access the content unless you choose to share it.This is essential for both personal documents and drafts or confidential material.

How to share documents securely

• From your OneDrive for work or school library, check the sharing status in the sharing column or on the document details page.
• You can quickly modify each user's access permissions (view, edit, no download, remove access) from the same interface.
• If you need to change the permissions of a folder so that it does not inherit settings from a parent folder, go to Manage Access > Advanced Settings to adjust inheritance.

Share with the entire organization or with specific people

If you want to share documents with the entire organization, you can do so using folders with permissions. Can see or personalized. To share with specific people, simply add their name when sharing the document and select the appropriate access level.

Customizing privacy in each Office tool

Each application in the Office suite allows you to adjust certain privacy settings that are worth reviewing:

In Word, Excel and PowerPoint

• Change author and contact information from the Preferences of each program.
• Activate the option remove personal information when saving to avoid sharing metadata in your files.
• Turn off tracking of recently used documents (File > Preferences > General) to hide the list of open documents.

In outlook

• The privacy of emails and other items can also be enhanced by creating separate user accounts on shared computers and managing the personal information associated with the profile.
• From the Contacts option, you can edit personal information linked to messages and manage what information you want to display.

How to make the most of the Trust Center

The Trust Center is the epicenter of all security and privacy options in Office. It not only allows you to configure general settings, but also manage document security, enable or block macros, choose enabled online services, and define the user experience with Microsoft services.

Trust Center Highlights

• Privacy options: From here you choose whether you want to participate in improvements by sending anonymous data, allow advanced diagnostics, or limit connectivity to online services.
• file security: Decide whether you want to receive alerts when opening documents with suspicious links or hidden file marking control.
• Participate in improving Office: You can opt in or out of automatic data contributions for suite development and improvement. Microsoft makes it clear that this is anonymous information that isn't used for advertising or sales, but you always have the option to opt in or out.

Managing privacy from your Microsoft account

Your Microsoft account privacy settings affect all the apps and services you use, including Office. From the account privacy portal ( https://account.microsoft.com/privacy ) You can access all centralized controls, review all your activity and modify the collection and storage of data.

Main options in the Microsoft account

• Location history: This stores a record of the locations from which you have accessed or used services. You can view, download, or delete this data at any time. To prevent its collection, disable location services on your device or revoke permissions from mobile apps.
• Browsing and search history: The history of visited pages (mainly in Microsoft Edge) and Bing searches are also stored. You can manage and delete it from the Privacy section, although in the case of Bing, unfortunately, there's no option to disable automatic collection; you can only delete your history manually periodically.
• History of applications and services used: Microsoft stores a record of the apps and services you use, both on Windows and Mac. Xbox or mobile devices. You can't disable the collection of basic diagnostic data, but you can clear your history from your settings.
• Disable personalized ads: Microsoft uses the data collected to show you personalized ads on its services. You can disable this feature generally from your privacy web dashboard, which limits ad personalization across all devices and apps.
• Managing apps and games with access to your account: You can review the apps and games that have requested access to your data and easily revoke permissions from the dedicated consent management section.
• Modify personal information: Update or delete your personal information, such as your name, email address, or phone number, from your Microsoft account profile.
• Two-Step Verification: While it's more of a security issue than a strict privacy one, enabling two-step verification adds an extra layer of protection to your data, making it difficult for unauthorized access to your information.

Related article:

Tutorial for Installing and Managing Add-ins in Microsoft Office

Isaac

Passionate writer about the world of bytes and technology in general. I love sharing my knowledge through writing, and that's what I'll do on this blog, show you all the most interesting things about gadgets, software, hardware, tech trends, and more. My goal is to help you navigate the digital world in a simple and entertaining way.