What you need to know
- Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Recall is still on track to enter public testing with Insiders this year.
- The company says it expects to release the first Windows 11 preview build with Windows Recall in October.
- Windows Recall was delayed back in June to address security concerns users had with it.
- The feature remains exclusive to Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft has today provided an update on the status of Windows Recall, weeks after it announced the feature would be delayed to address critical security concerns that were discovered before Copilot+ PCs launched on June 18. The company says Windows Recall is still on track to enter public testing this year, and the first Windows 11 preview builds with Recall will begin rolling out to Insiders in October.
Here is what the updated blog post says:
“With a commitment to delivering a trustworthy and secure Recall (preview) experience on Copilot+ PCs for customers, we’re sharing an update that Recall will be available to Windows Insiders starting in October … Security continues to be our top priority and when Recall is available for Windows Insiders in October we will publish a blog with more details.”
Windows Recall is an AI feature that’s exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, as it requires an NPU (neural processing unit) of 40+ TOPS. The feature takes snapshots of everything you do on Windows, and utilizes semantic search to let you find anything you’ve seen on your computer.
When the feature was unveiled, it was met with immediate backlash from users who branded it spyware. Microsoft highlighted security and privacy as two pillars of the experience, but it was quickly discovered that the feature was storing captured data in an unencrypted state, which ultimately resulted in Microsoft delaying the feature.
The company has since detailed how it intends to ensure Recall is even more secure when it ships, announcing that the app will require Windows Hello bio authentication to be accessed, and ensuring the data collected is encrypted when the Recall app is not in use.
With Windows Recall entering the preview phase in October, it’s unlikely we’ll see Recall shipping to production Copilot+ PCs until sometime in 2025.
