Microsoft has not yet given up on the controversial recall feature. It plans to provide a revised version in the Windows Insider test channel in October.

Remember? When Microsoft announced the exclusive feature for Copilot+ during Build in May, it was met with heavy criticism. Recall takes screenshots of everything you do on your PC and organizes them via a timeline. Thanks to the integration of AI, you can search for specific screenshots using a search bar.

Critics called the feature a security and privacy nightmare. Microsoft may have promised that screenshots taken by Recall would not be uploaded to the cloud, but it applied few local security measures. If you share a device with other users or your device falls into the wrong hands, they will have free access to the screenshots.

Microsoft ultimately had to give in to the criticism and rejected Recall. But the feature is far from dead and buried. In a blog post, Microsoft announced that it would be making a new version of Recall available for the Windows Insider test channel in October.

Revisions

Microsoft says it has made the necessary revisions to respond to initial criticism of Recall. Screenshots are protected by encryption when at rest and users must authenticate with Windows Hello to gain access. Recall must also be enabled manually via Settings.

Will Microsoft be able to keep the recall going this time? The fate of the feature is in the hands of Windows Insiders. They will be able to use it starting in October. The recall will be reserved exclusively for devices that meet the system requirements to call themselves a “Copilot+ PC.” Although we think the term is empty marketing, we still like the first devices.