When Microsoft introduced its Copilot+ AI PC program over the summer, one of the highlighted features was Recall, which aims to log months of your PC activity to help you remember and locate past actions.
However, Recall made headlines not for its intended functionality but for security issues that appeared in preview builds of Windows before the official launch.
The feature initially stored all data in plaintext, making it relatively easy for other PC users—or even malicious software—to access the data and screenshots, thus potentially revealing large amounts of user information.
The original launch of Recall was scheduled for the summer, but Microsoft postponed it to enhance the feature.
In late September, the company outlined the enhanced security measures of Recall’s new version and promised that a preview would be ready for Windows Insider Program testers in October.
However, now that October has passed, Microsoft has announced that the Recall preview is once again delayed and will now start rolling out to testers in December.“We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall.
To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we’re taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders,” said Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Program Manager for Microsoft Windows Insider, in a statement.
LeBlanc did not elaborate on the specifics behind the latest Recall delay or provide updates on any new security measures Microsoft is considering for the feature.
In a blog post from September, the company detailed its approach to safeguarding data with Windows’ Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) features and Windows Hello authentication, reaffirming that Recall will be opt-in by default. Additionally, Recall will be fully removable for users who do not wish to use it.
Once it becomes available, Recall will require a Copilot+ PC, which is equipped with certain AI-related features not available on standard Windows 11 PCs.
To qualify as a Copilot+ device, a PC must have a minimum of 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
Moreover, users must enroll their PCs in the Windows Insider Program. There’s no clear timeline for when Recall will be available to non-Insider PCs, though it appears that general availability might not happen until 2025.
When Microsoft launched the Copilot+ AI PC program over the summer, one of the standout features was Recall, designed to log several months of PC activity to help users remember and find past tasks.
But if you’ve heard about Recall, it’s likely due to the security concerns that arose in preview versions of Windows before the feature’s official release.
Initially, Recall stored all data in plaintext, which made it relatively easy for other users on the PC, or even malware, to access the information and screenshots, potentially exposing a vast amount of user data.Recall was originally set to launch over the summer, but Microsoft delayed it to strengthen the feature.
In late September, the company provided more details about the improved security measures in the revamped version of Recall and stated that a preview would be ready for Windows Insider Program testers in October.
However, as October has come and gone, Microsoft has now officially announced another delay in the Recall preview, which will now roll out to testers in December.“We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall.
To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we’re taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders,” stated Microsoft Windows Insider Senior Program Manager Brandon LeBlanc in a comment provided to The Verge.
LeBlanc did not offer further details on the reason for the latest delay or announce additional security measures being implemented for Recall.
The company’s September blog post explained how data protection was being managed using Windows’ Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) features along with Windows Hello authentication, and emphasized that Recall will be opt-in by default.
Recall will also be completely removable for Windows users who prefer not to use it.When the feature does launch, Recall will only be available on Copilot+ PCs, which include some AI-related capabilities not found on standard Windows 11 machines.
To meet Copilot+ requirements, PCs must have at least 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a neural processing unit (NPU) with a minimum capability of 40 trillion operations per second (TOPS).
Additionally, users must enroll their PCs in the Windows Insider Program. Currently, it is uncertain when non-Windows Insider PCs will have access to Recall, though it seems likely that the feature might not be widely available until sometime in 2025.
