How can I stop Windows from reading the content of my photos?

ZP 80 Reputation points
2026-09-18T04:26:21.77+00:00

As shown in the screenshot, when I type a phrase, Windows Search shows me results matching that query string even though the filepath does not contain the string.

I would not like Windows to scan / read my photos to index their content. I find this violating my privacy and I don't recall explicitly giving MS the permission to scan my photos.

Does anyone know how I can turn this off?User's image

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage
0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-09-18T04:26:38.9066667+00:00

    On Copilot+ PCs, Windows Search can use semantic indexing in addition to traditional indexing. That includes supported image formats such as .jpg/.jpeg, .png, .gif, .bmp, and .ico, which is why photo results can appear even when the file name does not contain the search text.

    To stop or limit this:

    1. Open Settings.
    2. Go to Privacy & Security > Searching Windows.
    3. Open Advanced indexing options.
    4. Disable indexing/searching for the locations that contain photos, or exclude the file types that should not be indexed.

    If the photos are being found because broader Windows Search indexing is enabled, another supported way to reduce this behavior is:

    1. Open Settings.
    2. Go to Privacy & Security > Searching Windows.
    3. Under Find my files, switch from Enhanced to Classic.

    If file system access is a concern for apps in general:

    1. Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > File system.
    2. Turn Allow apps to access your file system Off, or disable it for specific apps.

    Note: some desktop programs installed outside the Microsoft Store do not appear in that list and are not affected by the File system privacy setting; those must be controlled in the program itself.

    For Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft states that data gathered from semantic indexing is stored locally on the PC and is not stored by Microsoft or used to train AI models.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  2. ApexNáV 390 Reputation points
    2026-09-18T06:52:14.24+00:00

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. TaoLi 115.9K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-18T05:19:34.4033333+00:00

    Hi,

    This is usually caused by Windows Search indexing the contents of image files, not just their file names.

    You can try changing image file types to Index Properties Only in:

    Control Panel > Indexing Options > Advanced > File Types

    Hope this helps.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.