Microsoft Expands Access to Windows Recall AI Feature

NEWS BRIEF

Microsoft has expanded access for its Windows Recall feature to Copilot+ PCs that use AMD and Intel chipsets, after initially offering it to users with Snapdragon-powered machines. And, it has now launched in Europe.

The launch is part of a gradual rollout that for now is in a preview phase within the Windows Insiders testing community.

Recall is an AI-powered feature that allows PC users to record everything they do on their computers, and then go back to a desired “snapshot” of activity later. It’s a useful tool, as Microsoft pointed out in its expansion announcement on Dec. 6: “It’s now possible to quickly find and get back to apps, websites, images, or documents just by describing its content.” But the capability also has sparked ongoing concerns about privacy and data security (Microsoft keeps and hosts the recorded content in the cloud), as well as the potential for the feature to be compromised and used for cyber-espionage ends.

The tech giant appears to be taking those concerns seriously; in June, it beefed up its planned privacy and security features for Recall, including data encryption, turning Recall off by default, and requiring users to enroll in Windows Hello biometrics authentication to prove they’re present at the keyboard as recording is happening. It also added it to its bug bounty program to track down exploitable security vulnerabilities.

Microsoft has taken its time with the launch in light of the concerns; after being set to go live in June, Redmond pushed the release date for Recall back to October, and then to November, when it finally became available in limited release.