Windows Recall has always been Microsoft’s best argument for upgrading to one of those brand-new Copilot+ computers… and it’s also been the most controversial addition to Windows in years. The AI-powered feature periodically “reads” your on-screen activity and saves each moment as a series of searchable screenshots. If you’re interested, the Recall feature is rolling out to the Windows Insider Release Preview channel now.
You’ve probably heard a lot about Recall since Microsoft revealed it last year, because, well, there’s a lot to say. Our Windows expert Mark Hachman gave it a thorough test when it hit the Insider Preview Dev channel in December (that’s roughly analogous to an alpha test for Windows 11, versus the Release Preview’s beta test). He found Recall’s performance to be slow and stuttery, though there are a few somewhat comforting nods to the privacy issues, like making you authenticate with Windows Hello whenever you open your own activity history. But the system was inconsistent at best and buggy at worst, and not anywhere near ready to replace, say, a manual screenshot or bookmark you take yourself for referring back to later.
Is that worth the privacy risk of having a huge, visual history of your PC activity, even if you take Microsoft at its word on how secure and safe it is? Well, that’s for you to decide. I imagine enterprise users have expressed distaste, because Microsoft has already confirmed that it’ll be disabled by default on the enterprise version of Windows. If you’re not fond of the idea, Recall can be disabled and removed by regular users, too.
I don’t have a Copilot+ PC handy to test out the new and improved version of Recall on the Insider Release Preview, but you can try it yourself if you’re so inclined. After a disappointing announcement, Microsoft will probably try to get it out to the general Windows 11 user base—again, with the feature only available to PCs and laptops with newer Copilot+ processors—sometime later in 2025.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.