Microsoft Delaying Controversial Windows 11 Copilot+ AI Recall Feature Again
In another major backtrack, Microsoft is delaying its controversial Windows 11 Copilot+ AI Recall feature.
When Microsoft introduced Copilot+ AI laptops, it announced a new Windows 11 feature called “Recall.” Since its unveiling, Recall has received considerable attention for its glaring security omissions.
Recall takes regular system snapshots and stores them on your local drive (Microsoft says no Recall data is stored in the cloud). The idea is to use Recall to find lost or missing data quickly. Unfortunately, the feature’s security came under fire before Microsoft even released it. Windows was to enable it by default, storing your data (including NSFW content, usernames, and passwords) in a plain-text database. Anyone with basic computer skills and access to your PC could easily access your data. Or, worse yet, someone could inject malicious code into your system to remotely send your data to bad actors.
Now, to be fair, Microsoft did backtrack on Recall security before Copilot+ PCs hit the shelves. The security improvements are a positive step because the company is listening to its users. So, Recall will now be an optional feature; the Recall database will be encrypted and can only be decrypted using Windows Hello.
Microsoft Delaying Recall Again
The security measures introduced are a step in the right direction, but the company is delaying the controversial feature again. Instead of being available out of the box for Copilot+ AI PCs, it will instead work its way through the Windows Insider Program.
In an addendum to a blog post, Microsoft exec Pavan Davuluri notes: “Recall will now shift from a preview experience broadly available for Copilot+ PCs on June 18, 2024, to a preview available first in the Windows Insider Program (WIP) in the coming weeks. Following receiving feedback on Recall from our Windows Insider Community, as we typically do, we plan to make Recall (preview) available for all Copilot+ PCs coming soon.”
Like other Windows 11 updates, Windows will release Recall through the Insider program. It will include updates, new versions, and other features based on tester feedback.
Which Windows 11 PCs Will See Recall?
It’s important to mention that only a small subset of Windows 11 PCs will see the Recall feature first. To see the Recall feature, you will need a Copilot+ AI-powered PC. Those systems require a minimum of a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus Neural Processing Unit (NPU), 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Currently, AMD and Intel processors don’t meet the minimum system requirements. AMD is making progress towards its Ryzen 300 AI processors qualifying as Copilot+, but that certification is not expected until later in 2024. So, not all Windows 11 PCs will see the feature at all.
Whatever the case, if you are going to be an early adopter and get a Copilot+ AI laptop at launch, you won’t see the Recall feature—at least not out of the box. However, it will be pushed out via Windows Update once Microsoft patches all the security flaws.
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