Microsoft is starting to gradually roll out a full release of Recall, its feature that captures screenshots of what you do on Copilot Plus PC to find again later, to Windows insiders in the Release Preview channel, according to a blog post published Thursday, The Verge reported.
This new rollout indicates that Microsoft is finally getting close to launching Recall more widely, as Release Preview is the final hurdle before updates are rolled out more broadly to Window’s 11.
Microsoft originally intended to launch Recall alongside Copilot Plus PCs last June, but the feature was delayed following concerns raised by security experts. The company then planned to launch it in October, but that got pushed as well so that the company could deliver “a secure and trusted experience.”
The company did release a preview of Recall in November to Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel for Qualcomm Copilot Plus PCs and made a preview available to Intel-and AMD-powered Copilot Plus PC shortly after. And after a couple of weeks of testing, Tom Warren said that Recall is “creepy, clever, and compelling.”
BBC reported: Microsoft has begun the rollout of an AI-powered tool which takes snapshots of users’ screens every few seconds.
The Copilot+ Recall feature is available in preview mode to some people with Microsoft’s AI PCs and laptops. It is the relaunch of a feature which was dubbed a “privacy nightmare” when it was first announce last year.
Microsoft paused the rollout in 2024, and after trialing the tech with a small number of users, it has begun expanding access to those signed up to its Windows Insider software testing programme.
Microsoft says Recall will be rolled out worldwide, but those based in the EU will have to wait until later in 2025.Uses will opt in to the feature and Microsoft says they “can pause saving snapshots at any time.”
The purpose of Recall is to allow PC users to easily search through their past activity including files, photos, emails and browsing history.
For example, Microsoft says a person who saw a dress online a few days ago would be able to use the feature to easily locate where they saw it.
Engadget reported: Microsoft is gradually rolling out new preview features to Window’s Insiders, including Recall, which has been the target of critics’ security and privacy concerns since it was announced.
It was originally supposed to be a preview experience that’s broadly available to all Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs when the first batch of AI-assisted devices hit the market in June last year. But Microsoft pushed back its release to ensure the feature was truly secure. It delayed the tools rollout yet again in October 2024 to “refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders.
Due to the privacy and security concerns around Recall, Microsoft made it an opt-in feature. You’ll have to explicitly enable it, and you’ll have to verify your identity with a Windows Hello authentication method before you can access your snapshots.