Windows Recall: Erase It in 1 Click and Save Your Privacy! 🔒

Windows Recall: Erase it in 1 click and save your privacy! 🔒

The controversial function Windows Recall Microsoft's is now available to many users, and it represents both a great opportunity to improve your productivity and a risk to your privacy if not configured properly. 🚨🔍

🆕 The latest on Recall

Recall is now part of the advanced feature set of Copilot+ PCs on Windows 11, and has exited its initial testing phase.
Now also supports processors of Intel (Core Ultra 200V) and AMD (Ryzen AI 300). The chips must have a powerful NPU, as there are minimum requirements (high TOPS) for it to work.
In the European Economic Area (EEA), Microsoft incorporated the possibility of export snapshots Recall (past screenshots) for use with third-party apps and services. It also implemented a unique export code, which is used to encrypt and decrypt the exported data.

⚠️ Privacy: What was a concern and what changed

Since its announcement, Recall has been criticized for taking screenshots every few seconds, and those images could include sensitive data.
Microsoft has adjusted several privacy and security aspects:
1. Recall It is not activated by default; is opt-in.
2. Snapshots are stored locally on your computer, encrypted, and access is protected by methods such as Windows Hello.
3. Can filter which apps or sites/websites should not be captured.
4. You can completely delete saved snapshots, disable Recall, or even reset it if you had already used it.

🔧 Limitations, warnings, and what to review if you're interested in using it

Although it's available, not all PCs will be compatible. They'll need specific hardware (a suitable NPU, a certain processing power) for Recall to work properly.
Despite filters and protections, reports recently emerged that Recall still leaks sensitive information under certain conditions (e.g. credit card numbers, private texts), which raises concerns.
Browsers/apps and privacy tools have reacted: for example, Brave and AdGuard have blocked Recall from capturing their content by default; Signal It also has features to prevent Recall from taking screenshots of your windows.

💡 Bottom line: Is it worth it?

Yes, it can be a super useful tool if:

you have a compatible PC,
You want to be able to recover things you did before without having to remember the exact file/app names,
You're good at setting up privacy.

But be careful: if what matters most to you is keeping your data as private as possible, it is advisable to:

carefully review the filters (which apps or sites you don't want Recall to capture),
make sure snapshots are encrypted,
deactivate or delete accumulated if you have already used Recall,
Consider using apps that block Recall in certain contexts (messaging, private browsing, etc.).

What is Windows Recall?

Microsoft introduced Recall at a May 2024 event from its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, announcing several new features to complement the newly launched Copilot+ PCs. Recall is a search assistant that takes periodic “snapshots” of your PC, which its optical character recognition (OCR) AI can read and process. Recall wasn’t originally opt-in.

This feature allows you to find information on your device regardless of which application it was stored in or when. In theory, the Recall concept is very attractive for improving daily productivity.

Privacy experts raised strong concerns: Recall could save screenshots containing sensitive information, making it possible for hackers or unauthorized individuals to access it. Warnings were also raised about the large storage space required for such data. For these reasons, Microsoft withdrew Recall from the initial release and promised further testing before its October rollout.

In September, Microsoft addressed these concerns: Recall became optional, allowing users to uninstall it after activating it. However, the release was delayed again. After trying Recall in December, I changed my mind and found the tool to be valuable. At that time, Microsoft also expanded support for Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel processors, enabling final testing before mass distribution.

The risks of Recall outweigh its benefits

Recall is installed on Copilot+ PCs, but you must activate it yourself, usually during the initial setup. In my tests, I had to manually download and install the Recall app, and then activate it specifically to save snapshots. Windows 11 Setup includes a switch to disable this feature or exclude specific apps.

Although Recall is protected by Windows Hello, which is secure and convenient, my concern lies in ease of access. Imagine if someone asked you to unlock your PC with Windows Hello, granting them access to your email, documents, and a database of everything you've done for months. As a journalist, this poses legal and privacy risks. You shouldn't expose your private data in this way.

Therefore, my recommendation is clear: avoid activating Recall on your system.

How to remove Recall step by step

If your PC is managed by a business or educational institution, Recall will not be enabled. For individual users, Microsoft indicates that this feature is available by default, but it is always optional.

(“IT administrators cannot enable snapshot saving on managed devices; they can only offer the option to the user,” Microsoft notes.)

To turn Recall on or off, go to Windows' optional features. Type "Turn Windows features on or off" in the search bar and a list of options will appear, allowing you to select or deselect them as desired.

Microsoft shouldn't enable Recall without warning, but as a precaution, you can check the list of optional features to see if the "Recall" box is checked. If you want to remove it, simply uncheck the box. Windows will uninstall Recall and restart your PC, so save all your work first.

Uninstalling Recall will also delete your stored screenshots. You can reactivate this feature by checking the box again, but previous screenshots will not be restored.

Recall is an optional feature; the other AI improvements in Copilot+ are not. For example, Restyle Image in Photos offers fewer privacy concerns and can be used with confidence.

If you've been following our coverage, you'll know I initially supported Recall. However, with the changes in global privacy and my reflections, I believe its risks are too high. My final piece of advice: delete it as soon as possible! 🚫🔒