Microsoft delays recall feature again

Microsoft delays recall again

Microsoft is once again delaying the rollout of its controversial recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs. The software giant had planned to begin testing the recall, which creates screenshots of almost everything you see or do on a Copilot Plus PC, with Windows Insiders in October. Now, Microsoft says it needs more time to get the feature ready.

"We're committed to delivering a safe and reliable experience with Recall. To ensure we deliver these important updates, we're taking additional time to improve the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders," Windows senior product manager Brandon LeBlanc said in a statement to The Verge. "Originally planned for October, the recall will now be available for preview with Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs until December." Microsoft originally had to pause the recall due to security concerns ahead of its planned debut with Copilot Plus PCs in June. After a launch delay, the recall was supposed to appear for Windows Insiders just a few weeks later. Then Microsoft delayed the recall again to October, and now it's coming in December.

Many of Microsoft's delays are related to improving the security of the recall, making it an opt-in experience, and allowing Copilot Plus PC owners to uninstall it completely. Microsoft has spent the last few months focused on making sure its recall database is fully encrypted and the only way to gain access is to authenticate via Windows Hello.

The recall uses a local AI model built into Windows 11 on Copilot Plus PCs that takes screenshots of most of the things you see or do on your computer and then gives you the ability to search and recover what you saw. An explorable timeline lets you scroll through these snapshots to see what you did on your PC on a particular day.

Earlier this week, Microsoft again clarified that the recall would not be mandatory on Copilot Plus PCs, and would be an opt-in experience that could be removed entirely. This clarification came after various YouTube videos claimed that the recall was being installed on any PC with Windows 11, version 24H2.

The old-fashioned fear, uncertainty, and doubt have spread far and wide, simply because some references to the recall appeared in 24H2. It seems that Microsoft's removal of the recall over the summer has introduced some bugs in the way the feature appears and is controlled in Windows 11.