Windows 11 Recall is an AI feature on supported Copilot+ PCs that can store and index snapshots of what’s on your screen. If you don’t want that capture happening, you can disable Recall—either through Settings or via policy controls for managed devices.
This guide walks you through multiple reliable methods, explains what “disabled” means in practice, and shows what to check when you don’t see the toggle you expect.
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What Windows 11 Recall Is (and what disabling actually does)
Recall is designed to capture periodic views of your display, then use on-device AI to help you search and revisit prior moments. Disabling it stops the feature from capturing new data going forward.
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Prerequisites and where the option usually appears
Recall is not available on every Windows 11 device. You’ll typically see the setting only on supported Copilot+ PCs and on sufficiently recent Windows 11 builds.
- Device: Copilot+ PC support (Recall-capable hardware)
- Windows: Windows 11 versions where Recall is present in Settings
- Account: You need permission to change system settings (administrator on most setups)
- Policy environments: On Pro/Enterprise, Group Policy can override local settings
To verify your build quickly: open Settings > System > About and note the Version and OS build.
Method 1: Disable Recall from Windows Settings
If you have access to the Recall controls, this is the fastest and most transparent approach. The wording can vary slightly by build, but it will revolve around turning off Recall capture.
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Turn off Recall capture
- Open Settings from the Start menu.
- Go to Privacy & security.
- Look for a Recall or Activity history / Recall related entry.
- Set Recall to Off (or uncheck the option to allow Recall).
- If Windows prompts for confirmation, choose Confirm or Turn off.
If you’re not seeing anything under Privacy & security, use the Settings search box and type Recall to jump directly to the relevant page.
Confirm Recall is disabled
- Return to the Recall settings page.
- Verify the toggle remains set to Off.
- Check for status text indicating that capture is disabled.
If a “Try again after restarting” message appears, restart once and re-check the toggle.
Method 2: Disable Recall with Group Policy (Pro/Enterprise)
For managed devices (or if you want a hard enforcement), Group Policy is the cleanest control. This method is typically for Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions.
Create or set the policy in gpedit.msc
- Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate to the policy area that controls Recall. The exact path can differ by Windows release; use the left pane search if available.
- Find the policy that mentions Recall, Windows Recall, or the feature’s capture behavior.
- Set the policy to Disabled.
- Click Apply then OK.
If you can’t find a Recall policy in your gpedit view, it usually means your Windows build doesn’t expose the policy template yet, or you’re on a Home edition.
Force a refresh and verify
- Open Command Prompt or Windows Terminal as administrator.
- Run:
gpupdate /force - Sign out and sign back in, or restart if required.
- Go back to Settings and confirm the Recall toggle is now off or shows that it’s managed.
When policy enforcement is active, Windows often prevents the user from changing the setting locally.
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Method 3: Disable Recall with Registry edits
If you’re comfortable with advanced configuration, you can use the Registry. This is also a useful workaround when the policy editor doesn’t expose templates.
Important: Registry changes can break functionality if you edit the wrong keys. Back up first.
Back up first and find the right keys
- Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Before changing anything, go to File > Export and save a backup .reg file.
- In regedit, use Edit > Find and search for keywords like Recall.
The specific key/value names vary by build. Your goal is to locate the key that controls Recall’s enablement/capture behavior, then set the corresponding value to disable the feature.
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Set the disable value and restart
- Change the relevant value to indicate disabled (commonly a DWORD such as 0 for off, though the exact value name matters).
- Ensure you edit the correct registry hive (commonly
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEfor device-wide settings). - Restart the PC.
- After reboot, open the Recall page (or Settings search for Recall) and verify the feature is off or managed.
If Recall is controlled by policy, you may see that the toggle is greyed out. That’s expected.
What to do after you disable Recall (storage, history, and privacy)
Turning off capture is only part of the privacy story. Depending on your build and configuration, you may still have existing stored snapshots and indexing artifacts.
Clear any existing Recall data (where available)
After disabling Recall, check for a control that clears existing history. Common places include privacy dashboards or feature-specific pages inside Settings.
- Open Settings and search for Recall history, Clear, or Activity.
- If you see an option like Delete or Clear data, follow the prompts and confirm.
- If the option is absent, you may only be preventing future capture on your current build.
For enterprise devices, deletion may be handled by admin tools or governed by organization policy.
Review related privacy settings
Recall typically connects to broader permissions around diagnostic data and activity/history-style features. While disabling Recall doesn’t automatically change everything else, it’s worth checking nearby controls.
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- Go to Settings > Privacy & security and review toggles related to diagnostics, activity history, and any intelligence features.
- On shared PCs, consider signing in with the account you actually intend to use (Recall behavior can differ by profile and policy).
Troubleshooting: the toggle is missing or Recall still appears
When Recall won’t turn off, it’s usually one of four issues: unsupported device/build, missing privileges, policy enforcement, or stale UI state after updates.
Confirm device support and build/version
- Open Settings > System > About.
- Confirm you’re on a supported build that includes Recall settings.
- If Recall isn’t supported, the option may not exist—don’t assume it’s enabled.
If Recall is supported but the option is missing, search Settings for Recall. If nothing appears, your build or language pack may hide it under a different category name.
Check account sign-in and permissions
- Make sure you’re signed in as an administrator on the PC.
- Switch to a different admin account and check again.
- If the PC is managed by your organization, contact your admin—policy may be enforcing Recall settings.
Update Windows and re-check settings
Feature controls often appear or change wording after cumulative updates. Run Settings > Windows Update and install available updates, then reboot and re-check Recall.
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If Group Policy or Registry enforcement is active, the UI toggle may be greyed out or revert after you change it.
- Check whether the Recall toggle is editable in Settings.
- For Pro/Enterprise, open gpedit.msc and confirm the relevant policy is set to Disabled.
- For Registry-based changes, confirm you edited the correct key and restart after the edit.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Disabling only capture and ignoring stored data: Some builds offer separate controls to clear existing snapshots.
- Editing Registry without knowing the exact value name: Wrong keys can do nothing or break unrelated features.
- Expecting an instant UI change after policy edits: Always run
gpupdate /forceor reboot. - Changing settings on a non-admin account: Windows may block changes and silently leave Recall enabled.
- Assuming the feature exists because the name appears once: Verify on the current build by checking Settings search for Recall.
Comparison: disable vs. uninstall vs. limiting permissions
People often try three different approaches. Here’s what tends to work in real deployments.
Disable (recommended baseline)
Disabling Recall is the most direct lever. It prevents new captures and typically stops any related processing tied to the feature.
On most PCs, this is also the easiest to verify: the Recall toggle should show Off and remain off after reboot.
Uninstall (usually not the right lever)
Recall isn’t typically meant to be “uninstalled like an app.” Windows features can be tightly integrated, and removing components can cause dependency issues or break other functionality.
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If you see unofficial uninstall guides, be cautious—Windows cumulative updates can reintroduce components.
Limiting permissions (often incomplete)
Some users try to reduce access by changing permissions or background app settings. That can help, but it’s not always sufficient if Recall is governed by a dedicated feature toggle or policy.
For best results, disable Recall directly, then optionally clear existing stored data if your build offers it.
FAQs
Will disabling Recall stop all screen-related capture on my PC?
No. Disabling Recall specifically targets the Recall feature. Other Windows features (or admin-managed monitoring tools) may still capture diagnostics or telemetry depending on your privacy and policy settings.
After I disable Recall, do I still have old snapshots?
Often, existing snapshots may remain until you clear history or the feature’s data is deleted. Check for a Recall history deletion option in Settings. If there isn’t one on your build, disabling may only prevent future capture.
Why is my Recall setting greyed out?
Greyed-out controls usually mean policy enforcement (Group Policy or Registry-based management). In that case, user settings won’t override it. You’ll need an admin to change the policy.
I disabled Recall, but it turns back on after updates. What should I do?
Confirm policy state first. If no policy is managing it, re-check the toggle after every Windows Update and ensure you don’t have a script or management tool resetting settings. If it persists, capture your Windows build number and check with your IT/admin.
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Usually yes for local changes. If you’re on a managed device, admin or IT will typically control Recall through policy.
Bottom Line
To disable Windows 11 Recall AI, use the Recall toggle in Windows Settings first. Verify it stays Off after a reboot, then check whether your build offers a way to clear existing Recall history.
If the option is missing or greyed out, assume policy or build constraints. Use Group Policy or Registry enforcement as needed, and confirm device support and your current Windows version before concluding Recall is enabled.
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