In August 2024, Microsoft announced that it would start testing the controversial Recall feature in October among Windows Insider program members. However, the company now says that the testing has been postponed until December, The Verge reports.
“We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall. To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we’re taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders. Originally planned for October, Recall will now be available for preview with Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs by December,” said Brandon LeBlanc, senior product manager for Windows, in an interview with The Verge.
Recently, the company also confirmed that the new feature will not be mandatory and that it can be removed. Microsoft issued this clarification after a number of bloggers, including those on YouTube, began to report that the controversial feature was automatically installed on all Windows 11 computers on 24H2.
Microsoft was originally supposed to release Recall in June 2024, shortly after the announcement. However, the release was postponed. Later, the company announced testing in October, and now it is postponing the release once again for further refinement.
Recall is an AI-powered feature for Copilot+ computers. It will take screenshots of all user activities, such as booking tickets, communicating in messengers, visiting online stores, etc., and help users return to these activities later.
This functionality raised many concerns about the security and privacy of user data. Since the first announcement, Microsoft has repeatedly reported on improvements. It is possible to see what the result will be in December.