Windows 10: Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Messaging in Windows 10

How to: Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Messaging in Windows 10

How to Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Messaging in Windows 10


Windows 10 provides a wealth of data access to make apps useful and valuable to you. These capabilities, which are security constructs that gate access to personal data, include things like Call History, and more. Each capability has its own privacy settings page so that you can control it and what apps and services can use that capability.

In Windows 10, users can allow or deny apps access to read and send messages via text or MMS (aka: "Messaging").

Starting with Windows 10 build 17063, you can now allow or deny Windows 10 and apps access to messaging on your device (PC) for all users.

If you allow access, users on your PC will be able to turn on or off if their apps have access to messaging. If you turn on to let apps access messaging, you can choose to turn on (allow) or off (deny) access for individual apps.

This tutorial will show you how to change Privacy settings to allow or deny Windows and apps access to messaging for all users or only your account in Windows 10.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Messaging for All Users in Settings
• Option Two: Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Messaging for All Users using a REG file
• Option Three: Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Messaging in Settings
• Option Four: Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Messaging using a REG file
• Option Five: Turn On or Off Let Specific Apps Access Messaging Info in Settings
• Option Six: Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Seven: Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts using a REG file

OPTION ONE [/i] Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Messaging for All Users in Settings

*note This option is only available starting with Windows 10 build 17063.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

2. Click/tap on Messaging on the left side, click/tap on the Change button on the right side, and turn On (default) or Off Messaging access for this device for what you want. (see screenshots below)











OPTION TWO [/i] Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Messaging for All Users using a REG file

*note This option is only available starting with Windows 10 build 17063.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

The downloadable .reg files below will modify the string value in the registry key below.

Code:

Value string value

Deny = Off
Allow = On

1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Turn On Allow Windows and Apps Access to Messaging for All Users
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_ON_Windows_and_apps_access_to_messaging_for_device.reg

Download

3. To Turn Off Allow Windows and Apps Access to Messaging for All Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_OFF_Windows_and_apps_access_to_messaging_for_device.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





OPTION THREE [/i] Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Messaging in Settings

*note The setting in this option will be grayed out unless Messaging access for this device is turned on from Option One or Option Two above.
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

2. Click/tap on Messaging on the left side, and turn On (default) or Off Allow apps to read or send messages on the right side for what you want. (see screenshots below)











OPTION FOUR [/i] Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Messaging using a REG file

*note This option will not get applied until Messaging access for this device is turned on from Option One or Option Two above.

The downloadable .reg files below will modify the string value in the registry key below.
Code:

Value string value

Deny = Off
Allow = On

1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Turn On Let Apps Access Messaging
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_ON_apps_access_to_messaging_for_current_account.reg

Download

3. To Turn Off Let Apps Access Messaging
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_OFF_apps_access_to_messaging_for_current_account.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





OPTION FIVE [/i] Turn On or Off Let Specific Apps Access Messaging in Settings

*note The settings in this option will be grayed out unless Allow apps to read and send messages is turned on from Option Three or Option Four above.

The settings for this option are stored in the subkeys in the registry key below. Each subkey represents a listed app.

Code:

1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Privacy icon.

2. Click/tap on Messaging on the left side, turn On or Off apps you want under Choose which apps can read and send messages on the right side. (see screenshot below)

*note Note that each legacy app will not appear individually in the list like Store apps do, but they will respect the toggle starting with Windows 10 build 17063.









OPTION SIX [/i] Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts in Local Group Policy Editor

*note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

This option will override Option One and Option Two above.

Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education Option Seven below to do this using a .reg file instead though.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy




3. In the right pane of App Privacy in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Let Windows apps access messaging policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Enable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts
*note This is the default setting.
A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

6. To Disable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts
A) Select (dot) Enabled, select Force Deny in the "Default for all apps" drop menu under Options, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




7. When finished, you can close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.





OPTION SEVEN [/i] Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts using a REG file

*note You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

Setting this option to disable will gray out and override Option One and Option Two above.

The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD and hex values in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy

LetAppsAccessMessaging DWORD value

(delete) = Enable
2 = Disable

LetAppsAccessMessaging_UserInControlOfTheseApps hex value
LetAppsAccessMessaging_ForceAllowTheseApps hex value
LetAppsAccessMessaging_ForceDenyTheseApps hex value

(delete) = Enable
hex(7):00,00 = Disable

1. Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Enable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_Let_apps_access_messaging.reg

Download

3. To Disable Let Windows Apps Access Messaging for All Accounts
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_Let_apps_access_messaging.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to View App Permissions in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Messaging Everywhere in Windows 10 PC and Windows 10 Mobile
• How to Mute and Unmute Conversation Notifications from Messaging app in Windows 10
• How to Delete Conversations in Messaging app on Windows 10 PC

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