After a volatile first reaction and months of rewriting, Microsoft has finally released the first preview of its contentious Recall feature today. If you’re a Windows Insider using a Qualcomm Copilot+ PC, you can install a new version of Windows 11 that includes Recall and Click to Do.
If you are not a member of the Windows Insider Program but wish to try out this functionality, you can easily sign up on the Microsoft website. The recall was first announced before any of the Copilot+ PCs were produced, and it was supposed to be accessible at launch, but a backlash over privacy and security concerns caused Microsoft to postpone it.
The feature is intended to provide your PC with “photographic memory,” allowing you to search for anything you’ve seen on your screen using natural language. To make it function, the feature takes continual screenshots of what you’re doing on your PC — and the security of these photos concerned many.
According to the Windows Insider Blog, you will need to verify with Windows Hello every time you use Recall, which will undoubtedly make it “feel” safe but may also be a little tedious. As for how safe it is, there should be plenty of security specialists combing through the feature’s revised security and privacy architecture and reporting any flaws they discover via Microsoft’s Bug Bounty Program.
You may also specify which snapshots are preserved and which apps are authorized to take snapshots in the first place. Microsoft also states that it cannot access your screenshots, does not store them in the cloud, and will not utilize them for AI training.
The Click to Do function in Recall enables you to do activities from snapshots, such as copying text or saving photos. If you don’t like the sound of Recall, you don’t have to worry about it appearing on all Windows 11 PCs just yet; however, when it does, Microsoft guarantees that you’ll be able to completely delete the feature if you want to.
