Ever feel like someone’s sneaking a glance at your screen while you’re working in a café, on the train, or in a shared space?
You’re not imagining it—and yes, it’s a real privacy risk.
Whether you’re replying to a sensitive email or working on a confidential report, shoulder surfing is a growing concern for professionals on the move. Microsoft has noticed… and it’s working on a solution.
A new feature called Onlooker Detection is being tested in Windows 11. And it does exactly what you’d hope—detects when someone is trying to peek at your screen and gives you a subtle alert.
This is built on existing technology already found in Windows called Presence Sensing, which uses a presence sensor to know when you’re nearby. It already dims or locks your screen when you step away—and now, it’s getting even smarter.
Here’s what the new feature is designed to do:
Identify when someone is behind or beside you
Automatically dim your screen to make it harder to read
Or warn you that someone may be watching
No clicking. No toggling. Just passive, proactive privacy.
Of course, this relies on having the right hardware in your laptop—specifically, a presence sensor (also known as Human Presence Detection or HPD), which is common in newer devices with Intel, AMD, or Qualcomm chips.
If your laptop supports this, you can check by heading to Settings > System > Power & battery to see if presence sensing is listed.
While Microsoft hasn’t released a launch date yet, the feature has already shown up in preview builds of Windows 11—so we may not have long to wait.
At a time when data protection is more important than ever, this kind of behind-the-scenes protection could help keep your information private, especially in public spaces.
Want to make sure your team has access to the latest privacy and security features Windows 11 has to offer? Myriad Technologies can help assess your current hardware, ensure compatibility, and guide your upgrade plan.
Let’s make smarter privacy the standard.