Microsoft quietly pushes private notifications in Windows 11

It seems that Microsoft might finally update Windows 11 to support private notifications soon, as many users now claim that their notification badges appear to be private: that is not previewing anything aside from the app that pushes the notification.

The update is somehow disparate, as many users have started to get them since January 2024. This user, in particular, was stunned to find out Microsoft Defender pushed up a private notification on their Windows 11, which led them to believe they were hacked.

Earlier this week Twitter (now going as X) users shared that they were being hit with private notifications on Windows 11, as Windows enthusiast, @XenoPanther shared an image of the update.

So, it seems that Microsoft is releasing the update randomly, both to Insiders and non-Insiders, as well. For example, when we accessed the notification settings within the latest Dev build of Windows 11, we couldn’t find anything that would enable the hiding of notification context, as you can see below.

There is an option to enable the hiding of notification context on Windows 11’s lock screen, as you can see below.

For that to happen, though, you’ll need to select each app and enable the option.

Many Windows users believe this might be a bug, and there is even a Feedback Hub post where users let Microsoft know about it.

However, even if it’s not a bug, it could be quite useful to Windows 11 users who often share their devices with others or are using it in public spaces where people can take a peak (not everybody has a screen protector, but Microsoft is working on a similar technology, so there you go).

For instance, I often find myself in such situations, where I have to use my Windows 11 device in public. The notifications show private and sensitive information, and I end up being all anxious about it.

So this update, or bug, or whatever it is, should be an optional feature in Windows 11. Yes, I want to be notified when someone texts me, or when an app does something, but it would be good if it’s private when I’m sharing my device with others.

Microsoft recently updated Windows 11 with new notification badges for Windows 11 widgets, and users can now be reminded of them when they access the weather widgets on the operating system. This means Microsoft could, and in fact, it already has updated notifications to hide context when you’re not on the lock screen.

Let’s hope it’s not treated as a bug.