Windows Recall is now available to test in limited preview
After a series of delays, Microsoft’s Windows Recall feature is now available in a limited preview for Copilot+ PCs.
Recall, which takes regular snapshots of a user’s screen to provide a searchable timeline of actions, drew criticism from security and privacy experts when it was unveiled earlier this year.
On Friday, Microsoft announced a new Windows 11 build for Windows Insider’s Dev Channel that includes Recall and Click To Do, another Copilot+ feature in preview that provides an interactive overlay on a user’s screen.
The number of Windows Insiders testing the features is likely to be small at this stage, as Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.2415 (KB5046723) can only be accessed on Copilot+ PCs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. Support for devices running AMD and Intel chips is “coming soon,” Microsoft said in a blog post.
The announcement marks the next step toward a full release for a feature that was labeled a “privacy nightmare” upon its announcement in May.
A planned rollout in June was postponed in response, and Microsoft has attempted to address security and privacy concerns with several updates. This includes making the feature “opt-in,” requiring biometric authentication with Windows Hello prior to use, blocking detection of personal details such as credit card details and passwords, and the addition of a “virtualization-based security enclave” (VBS Enclave) to secure data on a user’s device.
