Microsoft Recall is rolling out following major controversy — what you need to know

News
By published

Recall redo

The Windows Rec
(Image credit: Tom's Guide/Microsoft)

Microsoft's Recall feature has had a rocky start to its existence. Designed to capture screenshots of your actions on Copilot Plus PC to find later, it's been delayed and pushed back since it was first announced.

However, Microsoft appears ready to try again, as the company is starting to preview the feature to Windows Insiders.

Microsoft described Recall in a recent blog post: "You work across so many apps, sites, and documents it can be hard to remember where you saw something you want to get back to. Recall saves you time by offering an entirely new way to search for things you’ve seen or done on your PC securely."

Windows Recall

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft's blog post also mentions that you must opt in if you want to have Windows save your screenshots and make them findable.

"You will need to opt-in to saving snapshots, which are images of your activity, and enrol in Windows Hello to confirm your presence so only you can access your snapshots," reads the company's blog.

Having Recall on PCs as an opt-in feature instead of on by default is a smart move from Microsoft, as it'll allow those more security-conscious users to ignore the feature and keep using their Copilot Plus PC without any changes.

Microsoft didn't say how long the feature would be in testing before launching it to all Copilot Plus PC users. Based on the issues with the initial launch, I assume it'll keep it in testing for a while to ensure everything is ready for prime time.

More from Tom's Guide

Dave LeClair
Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.