Microsoft's controversial Recall is back — but only if you're a Windows Insider

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Here's how to access it

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

When Microsoft announced the Windows 11 Recall feature for Copilot+ PCs in June, it was immediately met with backlash and controversy. The company quickly pulled it and promised to work on the feature.

Today, Microsoft announced that Recall is coming off the bench — but there are some caveats. You need to be a Windows Insider on the Dev Channel and own a Copilot+ PC powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus chipset in order to access the preview of Recall.

Click to Do

Alongside Recall, Microsoft announced a new feature for Recall called Click to Do. This feature "recognizes text and images in snapshots" and offer you contextually relevant options for whatever you click on, including copying text, searching the web based on the text, opening websites, sharing images, blurring backgrounds in the Photo app or erasing objects.

For now, Click to Do only works within Recall but Microsoft says that eventually it will be a standard AI feature available throughout Windows. Like the preview of Recall, Click to Do is only available to Windows Insiders in the Dev channel who have Snapdragon-based Copilot+ PCs.

Here's how to access Recall (Preview) and Click to Do if you meet the requirements:

  • Go to Settings - Windows Update - Windows Insider Program
  • Tap 'Get Started'
  • Link the Windows account you signed in with, make sure its the same account you registered with Windows Insider
  • Choose the Dev Channel and then reboot
  • After rebooting, go to Settings - Windows Update. Check for update and look for Build 26120.2415
  • Download the update, your PC will reboot to finish the update process

You should be aware that this is more or less a beta and there are known bugs with Recall.

These include Recall not working with "some accessibility applications" (Microsoft did not specify which ones), delays in feedback submissions, delays in seeing Snapshots (though a reboot is supposed to solve this) and ensuring that Secure Boot is enabled to save snapshots.

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Scott Younker
Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.