Recall: Microsoft improves controversial AI feature

Recall takes a screenshot every few seconds. The tool is designed to help you find all sorts of things on your notebook. Even before the new function was released, however, it was heavily criticised in early summer. Microsoft wanted to activate the AI feature automatically and had not even encrypted the screenshots.

As a consequence, Microsoft removed Recall from the feature set of the CoPilot+ PCs to revise the AI tool. This now results in several changes that should restore confidence in Recall.

Increased security and more options

In a recent blog post, David Weston (Vice President Enterprise and OS Security at Microsoft) clarifies once again that Recall is opt-in. This means you have to explicitly activate the function and agree to it. Unlike initially planned, it will not be automatically active on notebooks.

Microsoft is also turning an original mistake into reality. At the beginning of September, a unistall button for Recall appeared. At the time, Microsoft said that it was a bug. Now the bug is becoming a real function. You can uninstall Recall - including the required AI model.

If you want to use Recall, Microsoft will increase data protection. The screenshots that Recall takes are encrypted. The integration of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Windows Hello should ensure that only you can access your data.

Microsoft has used the extra time before the release of Recall to give you more control over the AI tool. This allows you to specify apps and websites that Recall will not detect. The function is also designed to exclude sensitive content such as passwords, credit card information or health and financial data from being stored. Microsoft is also making it possible to delete specific data from Recall. While it was previously only possible to remove the entire database, you can now delete all the content of an app, a website or a specific time period from the database.

Microsoft is sticking to its schedule for Recall. This means that beta testers in the Windows Insider Programme will be able to test the revised AI function in October. It will only become regularly available on CoPilot+ PCs once these tests have been completed satisfactorily.