Microsoft’s controversial AI screenshotting tool, Recall, is back again after being, well, recalled numerous times.
Nearly a year after its divisive announcement, Microsoft is finally rolling out Recall on Windows 11, but it’s still not available for most users (and you probably shouldn’t use it even if you do have access).
Recall uses AI to “remember” things you’ve done on your Windows 11 PC by taking screenshots every few seconds in case you ever need help remembering something. A preview version of the feature is now set for a “gradual rollout” to members of the Windows Insider program, meaning Recall is still not available to the general public.
That’s probably for the best. This isn’t the first time Microsoft has attempted to launch Recall, but it keeps having to reel back the feature due to a slew of privacy issues and backlash from users.
For instance, researchers spotted an earlier version of Recall storing sensitive data as unsecured plain text files. Recall was also caught screenshotting credit card numbers and social security numbers.
Microsoft made some major changes back in September to address many of the initial issues with Recall, and changed it to an opt-in feature, meaning it would no longer be turned on by default. Microsoft requires users to set up Windows Hello to authenticate any attempt to access Recall data, and the sensitive data also thankfully isn’t saved as plain text files anymore.
So, for what it’s worth, Recall is currently safer overall than it was when Microsoft originally announced it. You should still be careful about using it, though, assuming you’re a “lucky” Windows Insider member who has access to it. While Microsoft has made it harder for hackers to access and steal your Recall data, you’re still trusting Microsoft itself to protect huge amounts of data about yourself and the way you use your computer.
Depending on how comfortable you are with that, turning Recall on may seem fairly low-risk. Microsoft has said that it can’t access or view your Recall data, which its Copilot AI processes locally on your device (meaning that data isn’t sent to the cloud). You can also freely pause or deactivate Recall, delete your screenshots, or filter out certain content and apps.
I’m still not in any hurry to activate it on my Windows laptop. Considering Recall’s turbulent history, I’d rather wait and see how the preview version turns out since more security issues could still pop up.
While you risk your privacy any time you go on the internet, Recall takes privacy risks to a whole new level by literally watching everything on your screen. Some have even gone so far as to call Recall “spyware” and compare it to a virus.
