When the capability was first introduced with Copilot+ PCs last month, privacy concerns were raised
The much awaited Recall function from Microsoft was supposed to launch with the Copilot Plus PCs the following week. The function, which records screen grabs of every action made by the user on the new laptops, is apparently being delayed. According to reports, Microsoft is delaying the functionality so that Windows Insiders can test it. This choice runs counter to the original announcement that Recall will be supplied with further security improvements and as an opt-in option.
Microsoft revealed on its official blog that the Recall (preview) tool for Copilot+ PCs will receive additional updates. “On June 18, 2024, Recall will go from being a preview experience that was publicly accessible for Copilot+ PCs to a preview that will be made available in the coming weeks through the Windows Insider Programme (WIP). As per our regular procedure, we plan to release Recall (preview) for all Copilot+ PCs soon after hearing from our Windows Insider Community,” the company wrote on its blog.
Microsoft has declared that in order to ensure that the experience satisfies Microsoft’s exacting standards for quality and security, the firm is changing the release process for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community. “Once Recall (preview) is accessible in the Windows Insider Programme, we will release a blog post with information on how to access the preview,” the post read.
This basically means that those who own a Copilot+ PC or are Windows Insiders will not be able to use the Recall feature right now. The controversial function, which is also known as “Photographic Memory,” takes background screenshots to help users find previously seen information more quickly. It is claimed that this capability makes use of on-device AI capabilities. Many experts and observers voiced worries about its safety and privacy implications after its introduction in late May. Following this, Microsoft modified the Copilot+ PC setup procedure so that customers would have to actively choose to enable Recall, which would otherwise be turned off by default.
This is Microsoft’s second blog post about the feature called Recall. On June 9, Microsoft released a new blog post by corporate vice president of Windows and devices Pavan Davuluri, addressing important queries regarding Recall, a feature of the soon-to-be Copilot+ PCs powered by ARM.