Choose what to keep.
New installations keep no completed dictations by default. The “Dictations aren’t kept on this PC. Keep them” link opens Settings → Privacy & data; keeping needs explicit confirmation. Existing choices stay as set.
Choose Off, until you quit, or 1, 3, 7, 14 or 30 days.
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Off
Successfully delivered text is released immediately. Failed or uncertain delivery recovery may retain text until recovery ends.
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Until you quit
Dictations are protected on disk during the session. They clear on orderly exit or at the next start; this is not a memory-only mode.
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A number of days
Expiry uses absolute age. Future-dated items after a clock change are kept rather than discarded.
If settings cannot be read, a restored backup may bring back its retention choice. Check the setting after a settings-recovery problem.