If you thought Microsoft had called off the recall after its shocking reveal that CoPilot+ was a key PC feature, you'd be wrong.
Microsoft Wants It is planned to bring it back in October 2024. The good news is that the company plans to introduce it in test builds of the Windows 11 operating system in October. In other words: don't expect this feature to arrive on stable Windows 11 PCs before 2025.
Brief description of events
Microsoft announced Windows Recall in May 2024. The feature was initially enabled by default on compatible systems to capture a screenshot every few seconds. It will then use AI to analyze the screenshot and give users the option to interact with that content.
You can ask the AI about the previous activities done on the PC and it will find it by looking at the screenshots.
While this might sound great on paper and on work PCs, users and experts alike have raised concerns. Users have expressed fears that the malware could steal recall data to reveal what they did in the last few months.
Although Recall was designed to block the taking of screenshots of certain activities, these were quite limited. The feature, in its initial form, could take screenshots of passwords, if you used the option to show them, credit card numbers, and other personal information. It also knew about your browsing habits, what shows you watch, and anything else you do while using the PC.
Others did not trust Microsoft to keep data secure. We suggested making the recall opt-in rather than opt-out, to ensure users know what they are doing when enabling it.
Microsoft pulled the Recall feature shortly after its announcement and published information about its future in June. There, Microsoft said it would make Recall opt-in by default. It wanted to improve security by enrolling in Windows Hello and other features.
In addition, it promised to allow Insiders to test the recall before the launch. This was ignored earlier.
Microsoft's plan
The recall's return is timestamped in an update to the June blog post. It will see integration into Windows 11 Insider builds in October 2024. The feature will only be available on Insider builds that meet the Copilot+ PC requirements. Microsoft has reiterated that security will be its top priority.
Google recently launched a similar feature for its Pixel 9 devices. pixel screenshotIt also has an AI feature that analyzes screenshots so that users can recall the information found in those screenshots at any time.
Unlike Recall, which is automatically taking screenshots even if it is enabled at the moment, Pixel Screenshot works with manual screenshots.
Microsoft plans to provide additional information in October when the new recall launches in test builds of the Windows 11 operating system.
What is your opinion about the recall? Do you think Microsoft is making the right decision to continue with it and launch it in the future?
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