This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable if apps can modify text in focusing text box for your account or all users in Windows 11.
Foreground text access is generally intended to control whether an app can read text that is currently visible or active in the foreground application window. This capability is particularly relevant to:
- AI-assisted features
- Copilot-related functions
- Accessibility tools
- Text extraction / OCR features
- Writing assistance and summarization tools
- Password hints
- Emails
- Financial information
- Medical data
- Chat conversations
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users in Settings
- Option Two: Turn On or Off Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users using Command
- Option Three: Turn On or Off Foreground Text Access by Apps for Current User in Settings
- Option Four: Enable or Disable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
- Option Five: Enable or Disable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users using REG file
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Privacy & security on the left side, and click/tap on [BForeground text access[/B] on the right side under "App permissions". (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On (default) or Off Foreground text access for what you want. (see screenshot below)
This will enable (on) or disable (off) users ability to use Option Three.
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
This is the same setting as Option One.
1 Open Windows Terminal (Admin), and select either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.
2 Copy and paste the command below you want to use into Terminal (Admin), and press Enter to apply. (see screenshots below)
This will enable (on) or disable (off) users ability to use Option Three.
Turn on "Foreground text access"
SystemSettingsAdminFlows.exe SetCamSystemGlobal foregroundTextAccess 1OR
Turn off "Foreground text access"
SystemSettingsAdminFlows.exe SetCamSystemGlobal foregroundTextAccess 01 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Privacy & security on the left side, and click/tap on [BForeground text access[/B] on the right side under "App permissions". (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On (default) or Off Let apps access to modify text in focusing text box for what you want. (see screenshot below)
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
Enable or Disable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users in Local Group Policy Editor
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
All editions can use Option Five to configure the same policy.
1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).
2 Navigate to the policy location below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below step 3)
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Privacy
3 In the right pane of App Privacy in the Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Let Windows apps access text content from foreground applications policy to edit it. (see screenshot below)
4 Do step 5 (force enable), step 6 (disable), or step 7 (default) below for what you want.
5 Force Enable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users
This will prevent using Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
A) Select (dot) Enabled. (see screenshot below)
B) Under "Options", select Force Allow in the "Default for all apps" drop menu.
C) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below.
6 Disable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users
This will prevent using Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
A) Select (dot) Enabled. (see screenshot below)
B) Under "Options", select Force Deny in the "Default for all apps" drop menu.
C) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below.
7 Default User-Choice Foreground Text Access by Apps
This is the default setting to allow using Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
A) Select (dot) Not Configured, click/tap on OK, and go to step 8 below. (see screenshot below)
8 You can now close the Local Group Policy Editor if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
1 Do step 2 (force enable), step 3 (disable), or step 4 (disable) below for what you want.
2 Force Enable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users
This will prevent using Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Always_Enable_Foreground_text_access_for_all_users.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy]
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText"=dword:00000001
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_UserInControlOfTheseApps"=hex(7):00,00
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_ForceAllowTheseApps"=hex(7):00,00
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_ForceDenyTheseApps"=hex(7):00,003 Disable Foreground Text Access by Apps for All Users
This will prevent using Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Disable_Foreground_text_access_for_all_users.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy]
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText"=dword:00000002
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_UserInControlOfTheseApps"=hex(7):00,00
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_ForceAllowTheseApps"=hex(7):00,00
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_ForceDenyTheseApps"=hex(7):00,004 Default User-Choice Foreground Text Access by Apps
This is the default setting to allow using Option One, Option Two, and Option Three.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.
Default_user-choice_Foreground_text_access.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppPrivacy]
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText"=-
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_UserInControlOfTheseApps"=-
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_ForceAllowTheseApps"=-
"LetAppsAccessForegroundText_ForceDenyTheseApps"=-5 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
6 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
7 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
8 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
9 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
