Microsofts record-everything Recall feature is rolling out now
After several cybersecurity-related delays, Microsoft is finally releasing its controversial Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs.
Starting Thursday, April 10, Microsoft began gradually rolling out a preview of Recall, which records a user's activity by taking continuous screenshots of their computer screen (via The Verge). Those screenshots then become searchable, letting users recall past activity.
When we first learned about Recall, Mashable's former Tech Editor Kimberly Gedeon likened it to a piece of technology from a Black Mirror episode. Gedeon wrote at the time, "What is Recall? Recall is like hitting CTRL + H or Command Y, but instead of just getting a history of your browser activity, you're getting insight into everything you've ever seen on your Surface PC."
First announced at Microsoft Build in May 2024, Recall immediately drew concern from the cybersecurity community. Experts called out hacker vulnerabilities made possible by recording a user's every move on their computer, with a former Microsoft cybersecurity analyst calling it a "disaster."
Microsoft subsequently delayed the launch several times to address some of the security issues, like making the feature opt-in instead of automatically enabling Recall for users. In December 2024, a Recall preview was made available to select members of the Windows Insider program, which is when The Verge's hands-on testing described it as "creepy, clever, and compelling."
Now, Recall is seeing a gradual public release for all Copilot Plus PC users, who will get to decide whether this assessment rings true. Early testers also discovered that Recall captures sensitive information like credit card and Social Security numbers even though it's not supposed to.
Recall can't be uninstalled, despite initial reports that it could be. However, it can be disabled, and users must explicitly opt in to the feature. Copilot Plus PC users can also "pause saving screenshots at any time," according to the Windows 11 Build notes.