Windows Recall is almost ready to ship on production Copilot+ PCs. After an almost year-long delay and a half year in testing, Microsoft's controversial Recall app is now in Windows 11's Release Preview channel, usually the last stop before general availability.
I've been hearing for a while now that Microsoft is gearing up to ship Windows Recall in May, and with the app now available in the Release Preview channel, the timing lines up. We'll likely see the feature begin rolling out over the next handful of weeks.
Recall is Microsoft's new productivity AI feature exclusive to Copilot+ PCs. It utilizes the NPU to capture snapshots of everything you do on your PC and lets you go back to find things that you've previously seen or done on your computer.
Microsoft originally intended to ship Windows Recall in June 2024 alongside the launch of Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs. Those devices were supposed to enjoy a window of exclusivity with the new feature, but the delay squandered those plans.
Now, all Copilot+ PCs are expected to get Windows Recall at the same time in "early 2025," and it's expected to finally debut in the next few weeks. The feature entered testing with Windows Insiders in November 2024.
It's worth noting that Recall will likely still be tagged as a "preview" feature even as it enters general availability. It's unclear how long Recall will maintain that preview tag for, as the feature is already pretty polished and feature-complete.
Recall was originally delayed after privacy and security concerns forced Microsoft to revisit the feature to improve its security. Since then, Recall has been enhanced with encryption so that only you can access the data it collects.
Microsoft has even detailed all the ways Windows Recall remains secure, utilizing Windows Enhanced Sign-In Security that requires both a Microsoft Account and Windows Hello Bio-authentication to set up and use the Recall experience.
Recall is also a completely optional feature. You can choose to turn it off and outright uninstall it if you don't want the feature on your PC. I've been testing Recall since November, and I've found it to be a genuinely useful tool that I'm glad exists.
Microsoft is rumored to be debuting two new, smaller Surface PCs that are Copilot+ capable next month, assuming tariffs don't throw a wrench into those plans. Perhaps these will be some of the first devices to ship with Windows Recall available on day one?
Now that the Recall controversy has calmed down and the app is proven to be secure and does not upload snapshot data to the cloud, are you interested in trying this feature when it rolls out? Let us know in the comments.
