Microsoft's New Recall Feature Enters Public Preview After Multiple Delays

Microsoft has announced that its revamped Recall feature is now entering public preview, five months after scrapping its initial version. The new version will be available to a small group of users, specifically Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite and Plus Copilot+ PCs enrolled in the Windows Insider Dev channel. The preview will only be available with Windows build 26120.2415. Unfortunately, Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs won’t have access to this preview, and regular Windows 11 PCs won’t support it.

Recall is part of Microsoft’s AI-driven features designed for Copilot+ PCs, which come equipped with a neural processing unit (NPU) that allows AI tasks to run locally on the device, without relying on cloud processing. When enabled, Recall constantly operates in the background, capturing screenshots of users' activities and storing them, along with OCR (optical character recognition) text, in a searchable database. This allows users to retrace their steps later by looking through the captured data.

However, the feature faced significant controversy due to privacy concerns. To address these issues, Microsoft has made several changes to Recall. In a blog post in September, the company introduced enhanced security measures, including the option to opt-in by default, additional encryption, and requiring users to re-authenticate with Windows Hello each time they access the database. The feature also demands that Secure Boot, BitLocker disk encryption, and Windows Hello be enabled before activation. New safeguards now include the ability to exclude certain apps and websites from data capture, as well as efforts to mask sensitive information like passwords and credit card details to prevent it from being stored in the database.

For users who prefer not to use Recall, the feature can be completely uninstalled, and IT administrators can also disable it to avoid potential exposure of sensitive data.

This public preview is a crucial opportunity for testers to evaluate the changes and ensure that the issues raised by the original version of Recall have been addressed effectively.

One of the major points of contention during the Recall’s initial rollout was Microsoft’s decision to bypass the usual Windows Insider process, opting to release it directly to users with Copilot+ PCs via a day-one software update. This raised red flags since even small features usually undergo weeks of testing in the Windows Insider program to allow for bug fixes and user feedback. Microsoft’s move to prioritize security has since been emphasized by CEO Satya Nadella, who encouraged employees to "do security" when given the choice between rushing out new features or ensuring their security. If Microsoft ensures future AI features go through the Windows Insider process, it will signal a stronger commitment to security in its product development.

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