Microsoft is delaying the recall feature again: here’s when it could arrive
Microsoft Recall – the company’s new feature for Copilot+ PCs – is once again experiencing delays. The Redmond company was expected to roll out its Recall feature to Windows Insiders last month. However, according to the company, it is unlikely to be available for another few months. The feature is designed for use on Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs and takes screenshots of user activities. Since the announcement, there has been a lot of criticism due to privacy and security concerns.
Senior Product Manager Brandon LeBlanc attached to The Verge says the Recall feature won’t be available to members of the Windows Insiders program until December. “To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we’re taking extra time to fine-tune the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders,” the executive told the publication.
What is Microsoft’s recall feature?
Originally announced in May, the new Recall feature is an AI feature designed to run only on Copilot+ PCs. It can help users find things on their computer by taking screenshots of all their activities and allowing them to search the contents of that screenshot at a later time. The feature’s announcement was met with heavy criticism from privacy advocates and security experts, who pointed out several flaws in the first version of Recall.
After the response, Microsoft said stopped its plans to roll out Recall to Windows Insiders testers in June, revealing it would release in October instead. The company has done so ever since announced several major changes to the Recall feature designed to improve its security.
For example, Recall for Windows now stores encrypted data and its encryption keys are protected via the CPU’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Microsoft says the feature can only be used within a secure environment, to prevent other users from accessing user data.
Microsoft has also made some changes to Recall to prevent user data from being compromised by malware. The function includes anti-hammering and speed limiting measures. Meanwhile, access to Recall and the feature’s settings can only be unlocked using Windows Hello authentication, with a PIN as a fallback method.
The company has also clarified that Recall will be opt-in for all users with a Copilot+ PC and that it can be removed completely. When the feature rolls out to Windows Insiders in December, we can expect Microsoft to finally release it to all Copilot+ PC owners in the coming year.
