How to Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts 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 Calendar, Contacts, 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 their contacts.

Starting with Windows 10 build 17063, you can now allow or deny Windows 10 and apps access to contacts 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 their contacts. If you turn on to let apps access your contacts, 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 contacts for all users or only your account in Windows 10.


 CONTENTS:

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





OPTION ONE

Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Contacts for All Users in Settings



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

Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_device-1.jpg Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_device-2.jpg






OPTION TWO

Allow or Deny Windows and Apps Access to Contacts for All Users using a REG file



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:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CapabilityAccessManager\ConsentStore\contacts

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 Contacts for All Users

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_contacts_for_device.reg

Download


 3. To Turn Off Allow Windows and Apps Access to Contacts 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_contacts_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

Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Your Contacts in Settings



The setting in this option will be grayed out unless Contacts 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 Contacts on the left side, and turn On (default) or Off Allow apps to access your contacts on the right side for what you want. (see screenshots below)

Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_apps-1.jpg Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_apps-2.jpg






OPTION FOUR

Turn On or Off Let Apps Access Your Contacts using a REG file



This option will not get applied until Contacts 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:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CapabilityAccessManager\ConsentStore\contacts

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 Your Contacts

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_contacts_for_current_account.reg

Download


 3. To Turn Off Let Apps Access Your Contacts

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_OFF_apps_access_to_contacts_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

Turn On or Off Let Specific Apps Access Your Contacts in Settings



The settings in this option will be grayed out unless Allow apps to access your contacts 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:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CapabilityAccessManager\ConsentStore\contacts
Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-choose_which_apps_can_access_your_contacts_registry.jpg


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

2. Click/tap on Contacts on the left side, turn On or Off apps you want under Choose which apps can access your contacts on the right side. (see screenshot below)

The built-in People app will always have access to your contacts.

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.

Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_specific_apps.jpg






OPTION SIX

Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access Contacts for All Accounts in Local Group Policy Editor



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 editions. All editions can use 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)

Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\App Privacy

Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_apps_gpedit-1.jpg

3. In the right pane of App Privacy in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Let Windows apps access contacts 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 Contacts for All Accounts

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 Contacts 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)

Allow or Deny OS and Apps Access to Contacts in Windows 10-contacts_access_for_apps_gpedit-2.jpg

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






OPTION SEVEN

Enable or Disable Let Windows Apps Access Contacts for All Accounts using a REG file



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

LetAppsAccessContacts DWORD value

(delete) = Enable
2 = Disable

LetAppsAccessContacts_UserInControlOfTheseApps hex value
LetAppsAccessContacts_ForceAllowTheseApps hex value
LetAppsAccessContacts_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 Contacts for All Accounts

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_contacts.reg

Download


 3. To Disable Let Windows Apps Access Contacts 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_contacts.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


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