Third time lucky? Microsoft finally begins roll-out of controversial Recall feature

Microsoft has released Windows 11 Build 26100.3902 to the Release Preview Channel, including the Recall AI feature that's caused so much controversy.

The updated tool will initially be available to members of the Windows Insider program, and aims to counter the concerns over user privacy that have plagued the solution for months.

It was first scheduled for launch alongside Copilot+ PCs last June, offering the ability to capture encrypted screenshots locally on the device to enable users to search back through their activities.

However, with sensitive information including passwords, financial information, and private keys left as unsecured text files, the company faced a fierce backlash from users, security professionals, and privacy advocates alike.

Recall was also caught taking screenshots of credit card numbers and social security numbers. As a result, the feature was delayed until October - and then again until now.

With the fresh roll-out, Microsoft is aiming to counter concerns by giving users more control. Users must explicitly opt into Recall if they want to save snapshots, and can control when snapshots are taken.

Meanwhile, the tech giant said snapshots will now be encrypted on local storage so that Microsoft doesn't have access. These will also be protected by Windows Hello authentication.

"With the AI capabilities of Copilot+ PCs, it’s now possible to quickly find and get back to any app, website, image, or document just by describing its content," said the firm.

"To use Recall, you will need to opt-in to saving snapshots, which are images of your activity, and enroll in Windows Hello to confirm your presence so only you can access your snapshots. You are always in control of what snapshots are saved and can pause saving snapshots at any time."

Where will Recall be made available?

Recall, in its preview form, will be available soon in most markets, rolling out to the European Economic Area later this year. It's currently optimized only for certain languages: English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

Many existing PCs won't be able to handle the feature, however, which requires a Copilot Plus PC with at least 16GB RAM, 256GB storage, and device encryption.=

Included in the new release is a Click to Do (preview), designed to make it easier to take immediate action such as text copying and document reopening.

"For example, select an image using Click to Do to take actions like erasing objects using the Photos app or remove the background using Paint," said the firm.

"To use Click to Do, simply press WIN key + mouse-click, WIN + Q, through the Snipping Tool menu and print screen, or searching 'Click to Do' in the search box on the Windows taskbar."

The company said it's also improved Windows Search, introduced a speech recap feature for quick access to spoken content and live transcription and more.

But not everybody is convinced that the changes to Recall will answer security concerns.

"Microsoft’s Recall function arrives and it’s still got some privacy implications. Remember this is opt-in, so if you’re worried don’t do it," said security expert Alan Woodward.

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