Windows 11’s AI-Based Recall Won’t Be Available to Test Until October

Microsoft has pushed back initial access to Windows 11’s touted Recall feature to October as it addresses criticisms of the AI-driven feature.

An updated blog post has revealed that Windows Insider program members with Copilot+ PCs will have to wait several weeks to try the AI search function. The company is making security a “top priority,” Windows VP Pavan Davuluri said.

Recall was originally supposed to debut in a widely available Windows preview alongside the Copilot+ PC launch in June. Microsoft delayed the release with just days to go, however. It was responding to concerns from security researchers and users that Recall was potentially insecure and a privacy risk. Without encrypted data,

The feature periodically captures snapshots of your PC’s activity and uses AI to help search the content that was in view in any given moment. In theory, you could find an elusive shopping item or presentation just by describing it. The Google Pixel 9’s Pixel Screenshots feature is somewhat comparable, but it requires that you capture images yourself.

Microsoft has vowed to tighten security for Recall and take advantage of Windows Insider feedback before an official rollout. You have to opt into it, authenticate with Windows Hello, and be present. The search index will be encrypted.

It’s not certain when Microsoft will deliver Recall to all users. However, this doesn’t help its efforts to promote Copilot+ PCs as top-shelf AI systems. The technology was supposed to be one of the highlights of the launch, but now isn’t guaranteed to be ready in 2024. There are other reasons to buy, such as long battery life and image generation tools, but this could drive customers to other Windows computers and Macs.