Microsoft confirms Windows Recall for Copilot+ PCs is still coming, announces new public testing date
The company confirms Windows Recall has not been canceled, and will be available to try soon.
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What you need to know
Microsoft has todayprovided an updateon the status of Windows Recall, weeks after it announced thefeature would be delayedto address critical security concerns that were discovered beforeCopilot+ PCslaunched on June 18. The company says Windows Recall is still on track to enter public testing this year, and the first Windows 11 preview builds with Recall will begin rolling out to Insiders in October.
Here is what the updated blog post says:
“With a commitment to delivering a trustworthy and secure Recall (preview) experience on Copilot+ PCs for customers, we’re sharing an update that Recall will be available to Windows Insiders starting in October … Security continues to be our top priority and when Recall is available for Windows Insiders in October we will publish a blog with more details.”
Windows Recallis an AI feature that’s exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, as it requires anNPU (neural processing unit)of40+ TOPS. The feature takes snapshots of everything you do on Windows, and utilizes semantic search to let you find anything you’ve seen on your computer.
When the feature was unveiled, it was met withimmediate backlash from userswho branded it spyware. Microsoft highlighted security and privacy as two pillars of the experience, but it was quickly discovered that the feature wasstoring captured data in an unencrypted state, which ultimately resulted in Microsoft delaying the feature.
The company has sincedetailed how it intends to ensure Recall is even more securewhen it ships, announcing that the app will require Windows Hello bio authentication to be accessed, and ensuring the data collected is encrypted when the Recall app is not in use.
With Windows Recall entering the preview phase in October, it’s unlikely we’ll see Recall shipping to production Copilot+ PCs until sometime in 2025.
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Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads
