Microsoft is gearing up to launch its controversial Recall feature, baking the memory tool into its latest Windows 11 update. Currently available for select Insiders on the preview channel via Build 26100.3902 (KB5055627), this is the last step before hitting the mainstream.
Originally announced back in May 2024, Recall promises to save you time by essentially knowing all your history. Just like you’d search a WhatsApp conversation for all that party planning that inevitably gets bogged down by memes, you can trawl the copious amount of screenshots Windows snaps of your desktop usage to find what it is you did last week.
People didn’t exactly give Recall the warm welcome the Redmond company expected. As a built-in screen logger that records your desktop, it’s designed to remember everything you do. The purest of intentions doesn’t shake the feeling that it has an uncanny resemblance to the keyloggers that scammers actively deploy on dodgy WiFi networks.
Attempting to quell fears, Microsoft delayed Recall in June 2024, giving the feature more time in the oven. It’s still not quite ready to plate up, but the preview is currently rolling out gradually to select Copilot+ PCs as a taster. It won’t be available to all users just yet.
Microsoft chucks some assurances in its patch notes, stating that “you are always in control of what snapshots are saved and can pause saving snapshots at any time.” Everything’s conducted locally with a Copilot+ PC processor, which necessitates neural processing units (NPUs) despite the feature working perfectly fine without one. Data is then encrypted and stored locally, requiring Windows Hello authentication to access Recall.
It’s a valiant effort, but concerns remain over the sheer number of security issues that Windows and supporting hardware already face. One mistake and all your sensitive data could well end up in the hands of a bad actor, and knowing what you did last summer doesn’t seem like a worthy trade-off. Thankfully, it’s entirely optional, with Microsoft even going as far as to make it opt-in rather than opt-out.
