Microsoft’s Recall Gets a Second Chance After Privacy Drama
After nearly a year of getting 'recalled', Microsoft says the feature is finally ready for the public.
I remember when it was first announced. It felt like Microsoft was speaking directly to people with a not-so-sharp memory like me.
The idea was simple: your PC would take snapshots of what you’re doing so you could easily search and revisit your past activities, even if you forgot file names or web addresses.
But as cool as that sounded, Recall quickly ran into trouble. Privacy experts slammed it as a "privacy nightmare," pointing out that Microsoft was storing everything in snapshots, including private information like banking details and passwords, without encryption. Worse, security researchers found these snapshots were saved in plain text, making them dangerously easy to access. What could have been a useful feature suddenly looked like a hacker’s dream. Microsoft had to go back to the drawing board, not once, but several times, delaying Recall’s launch for almost a year.
Louis Eriakha
Now, after months of security overhauls, Recall is an opt-in feature, with encrypted data stored locally and protected by Windows Hello biometric authentication. You don’t have to enable it if you’re uncomfortable, and you can even fully uninstall it.
If Microsoft’s promises hold up, Recall could genuinely be useful. With Microsoft claiming about 15% of premium laptops sold in the U.S. were Copilot+ PCs with expectations of that number soaring higher, features like Recall could end up being a key part of how we work and multitask every day.
Alongside Recall, Microsoft is upgrading Windows Search to let you find files using natural language, like 'that PDF about Abuja'. It’s also adding Click to Do, a smart right-click menu for actions like summarising text or editing images.
The rollout won’t hit every Copilot+ PC at once. Microsoft is taking a slow, controlled approach over the next month, most likely monitoring for any new random issues. If you’re eager to try it, you’ll need a Copilot+ PC with the latest Windows update. Just head to Settings > Windows Update, turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available,” and check for updates.
After all the drama, it looks like Recall is finally ready for its second chance and hopefully, it doesn't mess up again.
Louis Eriakha
