Microsoft has officially launched its controversial 'Recall' feature for Windows 11, making it available to all Copilot+ PCs as part of the April 2025 non-security preview update. This rollout follows nearly a year of delays and significant privacy concerns raised by users and experts alike.Microsoft Support+5Windows Central+5Tom's Hardware+5
🔍 What is Recall?
Recall is designed to act as a "photographic memory" for your PC, periodically capturing screenshots of your activity to help you retrieve previously viewed content using natural language queries. These snapshots are stored locally and processed by on-device AI models, allowing users to search for past activities without relying on cloud services.The Sun+6Informa TechTarget+6Microsoft Support+6Wikipedia
🔐 Enhanced Privacy and Security Measures
In response to earlier criticisms, Microsoft has implemented several security enhancements:The Sun+2Windows Central+2Windows Blog+2
Opt-in Activation: Recall is disabled by default. Users must actively choose to enable it during setup.Tom's Hardware
Biometric Authentication: Access to Recall requires Windows Hello authentication, ensuring that only authorized users can view the stored snapshots.Wikipedia+9Microsoft Support+9Windows Blog+9
Local Encryption: All snapshots are encrypted and stored locally, with encryption keys protected by the device's Trusted Platform Module (TPM).Windows Blog+1Microsoft Support+1
User Control: Users can filter out specific apps or websites from being recorded, set retention periods for snapshots, and delete stored data at any time.Tech Releases+6Windows Central+6Windows Blog+6
💻 Availability and Requirements
Recall is currently available on Copilot+ PCs equipped with the latest AMD, Intel, or Qualcomm processors. These devices must meet specific hardware requirements, including a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of 40+ TOPS, 16 GB of RAM, and at least 256 GB of storage.gHacks Technology News+7Tom's Hardware+7Informa TechTarget+7Wikipedia+1Tom's Hardware+1
🗣️ Ongoing Concerns
Despite these improvements, privacy advocates continue to express concerns. Some experts warn that the feature's ability to capture sensitive information could pose risks if exploited by malicious actors. Microsoft maintains that all data remains on the device and is not accessible to the company or third parties.gHacks Technology News+2New York Post+2Wikipedia+2Microsoft Support
As Recall becomes more widely adopted, its reception will likely depend on users' trust in Microsoft's commitment to privacy and the effectiveness of the implemented safeguards.