Microsoft Releases Windows Recall Following Nearly Year-Long Delay
Microsoft Launches Windows Recall: A New Feature for Copilot+ PCs
After nearly a year of anticipation, Microsoft has officially launched Windows Recall for Copilot+ PCs. Initially revealed in May 2024, Recall faced significant criticism regarding its privacy and security measures, which led to a last-minute postponement of its release. However, following extensive revisions and testing, Microsoft has declared the feature ready for users.
What is Windows Recall?
Windows Recall is a powerful tool that allows users to create snapshots of their desktop activity. This feature captures everything happening on your screen, enabling you to revisit previous states of your desktop. The snapshots are saved securely on your device, allowing you to easily review your past work.
Key Features of Windows Recall
- Snapshot Functionality: Recall captures detailed snapshots of your desktop, aiding you in tracking your activities over time.
- Manual Control: Users can filter specific applications or web pages that they don’t want to be recorded, ensuring greater privacy.
- Local Storage: All data captured by Recall is stored locally on your PC in an encrypted format. The information remains secure and cannot be accessed without authentication through Windows Hello features like face recognition, fingerprint scanning, or PIN entry.
- Data Privacy Assurance: Microsoft emphasizes that the data captured by Recall is not uploaded to the cloud, mitigating security concerns that were raised at its initial announcement.
Additional Features on Copilot+ PCs
Aside from Windows Recall, Microsoft is rolling out two additional features for Copilot+ PCs: Click To Do and enhanced AI search capabilities.
Click To Do
Click To Do serves as an AI-integrated overlay that users can access simply by pressing the Windows key combined with a mouse click. This tool enables users to:
- Copy and Edit Content: Effortlessly manipulate images and text from your screen.
- Summarize Information: Generate rewritten versions of text seen in applications or on websites.
AI-Powered Search
The new AI search feature enhances the way users interact with the search functions in Windows. Key improvements include:
- Natural Language Processing: Users can type queries in everyday language to locate files, apps, and settings more intuitively.
- Integration: This AI capability will be incorporated into the Windows Search pane, the Settings app, and File Explorer, making it simpler to find what you need on your device.
Availability of Features
These updates are being introduced through the April 2025 non-security preview update, rolling out gradually across all Copilot+ PCs, which utilize chipsets from Snapdragon, Intel, and AMD. For European Economic Area residents, Windows Recall and Click To Do are expected to become available later this year.
Getting Started
To ensure you access these features as soon as possible, it is recommended to enable the "Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available" option in your Windows Update settings. This will keep your system current with the latest improvements and features Microsoft has to offer.
With these exciting new features, Microsoft is making significant strides in enhancing user experience on Copilot+ PCs while addressing earlier concerns related to privacy and security.
