Microsoft changes course on the controversial Windows 11 feature that constantly takes screenshots of your PC's screen: Now you'll have to opt in if you want to use it

SoftwareOperating SystemsWindowsMicrosoft changes course on the controversial Windows 11 feature that constantly takes screenshots of your PC’s screen: Now you’ll have to opt in if you want to use itWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Recall first came to light in May as part of the Copilot+ suite of tools for Snapdragon X Series laptops. It takes and stores an image of your screen “every few seconds,” the purpose being to make it easier (via the magic of AI) to find things you’d seen or been working on but have forgotten about: A funny tweet, a cool meme, or maybe that finance document you promised the boss you’d have finished yesterday.

In the wake of that, and widespread negative reaction to the idea in general, Microsoft has now partially reversed course. In anupdateposted today, vice president of Windows and devices Pavan Davuluri said users will be required to switch on Recall in order to use it, and doing so will require the use of the Windows Hello feature that enables sign-in via a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. Additional security features aim to ensure Recall images are only accessible after authentication, and the search index database is also being encrypted.

Davuluri also reiterated the pre-existing privacy features of Recall, including that images are only stored locally and not shared, that an icon will provide a visual indicator when Recall is live, and that users will have full control over when Recall is running and what it’s taking pictures of.

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For me it’s a matter of principle more than anything else (most of what I do is actually very dull) but there are times when I’m dealing with sensitive material (for work purposes, not porn, you weirdos) and I don’t need the headaches that a leak would entail.

If you do want to sign up for the digital panopticon for some reason, the “preview” release of Recall is set to ship on June 18. Note, however, that it will not work on standard PCs: Microsoft says Recall and other Copilot+ features “require powerful neural processing units (NPUs)—a specialized computer chip for AI-intensive processes—that are unique to the Copilot+ PC class of devices.” In May, however, someone reportedly figured out how to get Recall workingwithout an NPU, so maybe someday Microsoft will too.

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