In late May, Microsoft announced the arrival of new Copilot+ PCs, with built-in AI and several new features, including Recall, which records everything you do in a reference timeline. Now, the company is taking a step back and making that feature optional.
Initial Response to Microsoft Recall
With PCs from several manufacturers, including Acer, Asus and HP, on the verge of disappearing, Microsoft announced on Friday that it has taken a new stance on its Recall Preview feature. Initially, the feature would be enabled by default, and if you didn't want to use it, you would have to opt out. Numerous individuals and companies have spoken out against the feature, warning consumers that it could put their personal data at risk.
Recall periodically takes snapshots of what you do while you're using your computer, and Microsoft says those snapshots are stored securely, but security researchers have discovered that's not the case. In response, Pavan Davuluri, Corporate Vice President, Windows+ Devices at Microsoft, said in the press release, "That's why we're launching Recall in preview on Copilot+ PCs – to give customers the choice to use the feature early or not, and to give us the opportunity to learn from the types of real-world scenarios that customers and the Windows community will find most useful."
In an effort to regain the trust of Microsoft users, the company is now making Recall a feature that you have to opt into. During the setup process for your new computer, you have to enable it. If you don't, you won't have access to Recall's features, but it also won't take pictures of what you're doing on your computer.
