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The Device encryption helps protect your data, and it's available on a wide range of Windows devices. If you turn on device encryption, the data on your device can only be accessed by people who've been authorized. If device encryption isn't available on your device, you may be able to turn on BitLocker Drive Encryption instead.
Device Encryption and BitLocker Drive Encryption are the two encryption options available in Windows. BitLocker is only available in Windows 11 Professional and Enterprise editions, while Device Encryption is available on all Windows 11 editions. BitLocker encrypts drive data using industry-standard AES-CBC and XTS-AES algorithms, offering 128-bit and 256-bit encryption strengths to meet different security needs. Device Encryption also uses the BitLocker encryption algorithm to protect the drive. It appears to be a lightweight version of BitLocker, ensuring the same level of data security as BitLocker.
If you cannot find the Device Encryption feature, or if Windows 11 displays the error "Windows Device Encryption isn't available for this device," it typically means your computer does not meet the required hardware specifications. Common reasons include:
If your computer is compatible with Device Encryption, follow the tutorial below to turn it on and protect your data. If not, and BitLocker is also unavailable, you'll need a third-party BitLocker encryption tool—we recommend Hasleo BitLocker Anywhere For Windows.
Step 1. Click the Windows icon, then click Settings.
Step 2. Go to Privacy & Security > Device encryption. You can easily turn Device encryption on or off.
Step 3. Wait patiently for the encryption or decryption process to complete.
This tutorial describes how to turn on or off device encryption in Windows 11. If your computer does not support the device encryption feature, you can turn on BitLocker instead to encrypt your data.
