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Microsoft delayed the broad preview of Windows Recall on June 13, 2024, just days before Copilot+ PCs launched. The feature was originally scheduled to become broadly available on June 18, but Microsoft moved it to the Windows Insider program first after privacy and security concerns intensified.
That delay is now a historical event, not Recall’s current status. Microsoft redesigned the feature, added stronger safeguards, and announced broad availability for qualifying Copilot+ PCs in April 2025. Recall remains an opt-in Windows 11 feature restricted to compatible Copilot+ hardware.
What Microsoft delayed
Microsoft did not delay Windows 11 or the Copilot+ PC launch generally. It delayed the broad preview of Recall, one of the flagship AI features announced with Copilot+ PCs.
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Microsoft’s official announcement said Recall would first be released to Windows Insiders so the company could gather feedback and improve quality, security and trust before making it available more widely.
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The original plan was for Recall to be included with new Copilot+ PCs beginning June 18, 2024. New systems instead shipped without the broadly available preview while Microsoft reworked the release process.
What Recall does
When enabled, Recall periodically saves screenshots of the active screen and creates a searchable visual timeline. A user might search for a restaurant page, document, message or image seen earlier and return to the corresponding activity.
Microsoft does not describe Recall as continuous audio or video recording. It saves snapshots at intervals and when the active window changes, according to its support documentation. However, those snapshots can still create a detailed record of what was visible on a computer.
Why Recall caused backlash
The central objection was not simply that Recall used AI. It was that the feature could create a concentrated, searchable archive of a person’s digital activity.
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Depending on what appeared on screen, snapshots could contain passwords, financial information, private messages, medical details, confidential work documents or information belonging to other people. If an attacker, unauthorized user or malicious program gained access to the device, that archive could become a valuable target.
Associated Press coverage reported that privacy and cybersecurity concerns contributed to Microsoft removing Recall from the initial shipment of new Windows computers. Axios likewise reported concerns about accidental exposure of passwords, confidential materials and other sensitive data.
Microsoft’s official explanation emphasized Windows Insider feedback, quality, robustness, security and a more trusted setup experience. The public controversy provides the broader context, but it is more precise to distinguish that external interpretation from Microsoft’s stated rationale.
How Microsoft redesigned Recall
Microsoft announced several important changes:
- Opt-in activation: saving snapshots is off unless the user actively enables it.
- Windows Hello authentication: users must enroll in Windows Hello and confirm their identity before viewing or searching the Recall timeline.
- Encryption: snapshots and related data are encrypted, with Microsoft describing additional just-in-time decryption protections.
- Local storage and processing: Microsoft says snapshots and associated data remain on the device rather than being shared with Microsoft or third parties for cloud storage and analysis.
- User controls: users can pause or disable saving, delete individual or all snapshots, set storage and retention limits, and filter apps or websites.
Microsoft later described additional protections involving TPM-protected keys and a Virtualization-based Security Enclave. These measures may reduce exposure, but they do not make a computer immune to malware, compromised accounts, administrator abuse, physical access or undiscovered software vulnerabilities. “Stored locally” limits cloud exposure; it does not eliminate endpoint-security risk.
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What happened after the delay?
Microsoft later said Recall would reach Windows Insiders beginning in October 2024. In April 2025, Microsoft announced broad availability through a downloadable update for Copilot+ PCs using Qualcomm, Intel or AMD processors.
That means articles saying Microsoft is still delaying Recall are outdated unless they refer to a new, separately documented delay. The current Microsoft support pages describe Recall as available only on qualifying Copilot+ PCs.
Who can use Recall?
Recall is not a standard Windows 11 feature available on every recent PC. Microsoft lists these requirements:
- A qualifying Copilot+ PC with a 40+ TOPS neural processing unit.
- At least 16 GB of RAM.
- At least 256 GB of storage.
- At least 50 GB of free storage to enable Recall.
- Device Encryption or BitLocker.
- Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security with a biometric sign-in option.
Microsoft says automatic snapshot saving pauses when free space falls below 25 GB. The feature also has content and language limitations, so meeting the hardware requirements does not guarantee that every activity will be captured or searchable.
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How to turn Recall off or delete its data
On a supported PC, open:
Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots
From there, users can turn snapshot saving off, pause it temporarily, delete selected snapshots or delete all saved snapshots. They can also configure storage limits, retention limits and filters.
Turning off future snapshot saving is not necessarily the same as deleting snapshots already stored on the device. Anyone who wants the existing history removed should use the deletion controls as well.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Browser filtering is not identical everywhere
Microsoft documents website filtering for supported browsers including Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome. For other Chromium-based browsers, Microsoft says private-browsing activity can be filtered, but specific website filtering may not work unless the browser implements the relevant Recall activity APIs.
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Users should therefore avoid assuming that one browser setting covers every browser, website or type of activity on the computer.
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What businesses and schools need to know
Microsoft says Recall is disabled and removed by default on managed commercial and education devices. Administrators must explicitly allow it before users can enable the feature.
Relevant administrative controls include policies to:
- Allow Recall to be enabled.
- Turn off snapshot saving.
- Set storage allocations.
- Disable or remove the optional Recall component.
Microsoft documents this PowerShell command for enabling the optional component in some commercial environments:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsEnable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall"To remove it after it has been enabled:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall" -RemoveAdministrators cannot turn on snapshot saving on behalf of users; Microsoft says individual user opt-in is required. Organizations handling regulated, confidential or highly sensitive information should evaluate whether creating a searchable screen history is compatible with their policies before allowing the feature.
Should you use Recall?
Recall offers a convenience that ordinary file organization and browser history do not: it can help reconstruct what was visible on the PC even when the user no longer remembers the file name, website or application.
The trade-off is a persistent local archive that may be more comprehensive and searchable than the user expects. Before enabling it, consider:
- Whether the PC displays financial, medical, legal, work or confidential information.
- Whether Windows Hello and account security are properly configured.
- Which apps and browsers need filtering.
- Whether the available storage is sufficient.
- Whether other people use the computer.
- Whether the benefit is worth maintaining another sensitive data store.
Buying a Copilot+ PC does not obligate anyone to use Recall. Snapshot saving is opt-in, and managed business and education devices have a stricter default posture. Recall is also not a separately priced subscription; it is presented as a Windows feature for qualifying Copilot+ hardware. Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC information page lists processor families such as Snapdragon X Series, Intel Core Ultra 200V Series and AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series.
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