Microsoft keeps personal data as long as necessary, and retention periods can vary significantly
Microsoft retains personal data for as long as necessary to provide the products and services you use and to fulfill transactions you request. It also retains data for other legitimate purposes such as operating its business, meeting contractual and legal obligations, improving and developing products, protecting safety and security and resolving disputes. Actual retention periods can vary significantly by data type and context, and the statement points to product documentation. The criteria it lists are the purposes of use (for example, OneDrive documents are kept until you delete them), the nature and sensitivity of the data (for example, a shortened period for precise geolocation), and legal, contractual and similar obligations such as retention laws, government preservation orders and litigation, while it removes unlawful content where required by law.
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Microsoft retains personal data for as long as necessary to provide the products and services you use and to fulfill the transactions you request.
actual retention periods can vary significantly
when you store a document in OneDrive, we maintain the data until you actively delete it
we maintain a shortened retention period for precise geolocation information
including data retention laws, government orders to preserve data relevant to an investigation, or data retained for the purposes of litigation
we’ll remove unlawful content where required by law
Qualifications & exceptions
No fixed retention periods are given; periods vary significantly.
Legal holds and preservation orders can extend retention.
Not stated here
Specific retention periods for most data types are not stated in this section.
Retention & Deletion · Procedure
Closing a child's account deletes all their information, but only after a 60-day wait
To delete all of a child's personal information, you request deletion of the child's account using the close your account form while signed in to the child's account. After you request closure the account is marked for deletion, but Microsoft waits 60 days before permanently deleting it, in case you change your mind or need information. After 60 days the account is permanently deleted.
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To delete all your child’s personal information, request deletion of the child’s account using the
the account is marked for deletion, but we will wait 60 days before permanently deleting the account in case you change your mind or need to access information. After 60 days, the account will be permanently deleted.
Qualifications & exceptions
The account is marked for deletion and kept for 60 days before permanent deletion.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Deleted Outlook.com items stay about 7 days in Deleted Items and up to 30 days more before final deletion
Outlook.com is Microsoft's primary consumer email service, covering addresses that end in outlook.com, live.com, hotmail.com and msn.com. It offers features to connect with friends on social networks, and you need a Microsoft account to use it. When you delete an email or item, it generally goes to the Deleted Items folder where it stays for approximately 7 days unless you move it back, empty the folder or the service empties it automatically, whichever comes first. After the folder is emptied, items remain in Microsoft's system for up to 30 days before final deletion, unless Microsoft is legally required to retain the data longer.
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Outlook.com is the primary consumer email service from Microsoft and includes email accounts with addresses that end in outlook.com, live.com, hotmail.com, and msn.com.
the item generally goes into your Deleted Items folder where it remains for approximately 7 days
those items remain in our system for up to 30 days before final deletion, unless we are legally required to retain the data for longer
Qualifications & exceptions
The 7-day period is "approximately" and "generally".
Longer retention applies if legally required.
Retention & Deletion · Company practice
Signed-in Bing personalizes and syncs history; clearing history does not delete the search logs
When you sign in to Bing with your personal Microsoft account, Bing gives you an enhanced experience including syncing your search history across devices, customizing interests, favorites and settings, and connecting your account with third-party services; you manage personalization in Bing Settings. When signed in you can review and clear your search terms and clicked results on the privacy dashboard or in Bing Settings. Clearing history removes it from your search history but does not delete information from Microsoft's search logs, which are retained and de-identified as described earlier or based on your privacy dashboard instructions.
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Bing provides you with an enhanced experience when you sign in with your personal Microsoft account, including syncing your search history across devices, customizing your interests, favorites, and settings, and connecting your account with third-party services.
These tools allow you to review and clear your search terms and clicked results from Bing.
Clearing your history in Bing removes it from your search history, but does not delete information from our search logs, which are retained and de-identified as described above or based on your privacy dashboard instructions.
Qualifications & exceptions
Clearing history does not delete data from search logs.
Not stated here
The "described above" retention and de-identification terms for search logs are not shown in this passage.
Your last known location is saved to the cloud when you are signed in and an app uses location
If an app or feature accesses your device location and you are signed in with a Microsoft account, your last known location is also saved to the cloud. It is available across your devices to other apps or services that use your Microsoft account and that you have given permission. You can view or delete this location information from your Microsoft account privacy dashboard.
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If an app or feature accesses your device’s location and you are signed in with your Microsoft account, your last known location information is also saved to the cloud.
This location information can be viewed or deleted from your Microsoft account privacy dashboard.
Qualifications & exceptions
Applies when an app or feature accesses your location and you are signed in with a Microsoft account.
Retention & Deletion · Company commitment
Microsoft says it never stores Android texts, call history, photos or app information on its servers
Microsoft states that it never stores your texts, call history, photos, what apps you have, or information displayed by the apps on its servers, and never changes them on your phone. This statement is made for Android Phone Link and is separate from the contacts sync feature, which does store contacts online, and from the app list collected for app mirroring.
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We never store your texts, call history, photos, or what apps you have or information displayed by the apps on our servers or change them on your phone.
Qualifications & exceptions
The commitment is stated for Phone Link on Android; contacts sync and the installed-app list for mirroring are treated separately.
Retention & Deletion · Company commitment
Connected camera, new-photo notifications and file access are not stored on Microsoft servers
Using your mobile device as a connected camera in Windows apps is enabled under Mobile Devices in Settings, and Microsoft states it does not record or store your camera sessions or what the camera displays. New photo notifications from the linked device store photos temporarily on your PC while you edit or open them; you must start saving to keep them, and Microsoft says it never stores your photos on its servers or changes or deletes photos on your mobile device. Showing your mobile device in File Explorer gives access to its files, and Microsoft says it will not store file contents in its services. You can also enable access through Windows Share to share files and folders between the PC and the mobile device.
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Microsoft does not record or store your camera sessions or any of the information displayed by your camera in any of the applications or products.
These photos are temporarily stored on your Windows PC while you are editing or opening those photos.
We never store your photos on our servers or change or delete any photos on your mobile device.
Microsoft will not store your file contents in its services.
Once enabled, your linked devices are visible in Windows, allowing you to share files and folders between your PC and your mobile device.
Qualifications & exceptions
These features require you to enable them in Settings.
Retention & Deletion · User right or choice
When signed in, Windows can store your settings, files and device configuration on Microsoft servers
When you sign in to Windows with a Microsoft account, Windows can store your settings, files and device configuration data on Microsoft servers, and says it uses the stored data only to make it easier to move your experience to a different device. You can turn this off in Windows settings and can delete previously backed-up data from your Microsoft Account Devices page.
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Windows can store your settings, files, and device configuration data in Microsoft’s servers.
Windows will only use the stored settings, files, and device configuration data to make it easier for you to migrate your experience on a different device.
You can turn off this feature and stop Windows from storing your settings, files, and configuration data from the Windows settings.
You can delete the data that has been backed up previously to your Microsoft account
Qualifications & exceptions
Microsoft states the stored data is used only for migrating your experience.
Retention & Deletion · Company commitment
Recall data is never sent off your device unless you take action, such as sharing a snapshot or submitting feedback
Recall stores all captured data, including snapshots, metadata, processing results and queries, locally on your Copilot+ PC and within your signed-in account. Microsoft says the information is never transmitted off the device unless you take action, such as copying a snapshot to another app or submitting feedback through Feedback Hub with a snapshot attached, and that Recall content can be shared only by explicit user action on the device. Searching Recall by microphone keeps the audio on the device.
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all audio captured stays on your device
Recall securely stores all captured data—including personal data like snapshots, metadata, processing results, and user queries—locally on your Copilot+ PC and within your signed-in account.
This information is never transmitted off your device unless you take action, such as copying a snapshot to another app or submitting feedback through the Windows Feedback Hub with a snapshot attached.
The only way Recall content can be shared is by explicit user action on the device.
Qualifications & exceptions
Sharing happens only through your explicit action.