Microsoft's Recall feature, the AI-enabled timeline for Windows 11 on PC Copilot+, will be available only to Windows Insider program members in June, instead of the planned initial public preview scheduled for June 18. This change follows Microsoft's decision last week to turn on the recovery option instead of enabling it by default. Other users will have access to Recall “soon,” after the Redmond giant has had time to respond to comments from the Windows Insider preview.
Recall takes snapshots of a user's activity on their Copilot+ PC, allowing generative AI to track all that activity to answer naturally posed questions. There might be an advantage in performing open-ended searches (such as “Show me the spreadsheet my boss sent me yesterday”), but some security researchers have expressed concerns about how that activity is stored.
Recovery feature will be previewed in the Windows Insider Program
On June 13, Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Windows and Devices Pavan Davuluri wrote an update to the blog post written about the change from Recall to opt-in last week.
“We are adjusting the Recall release model to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community and ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security,” he wrote. “This decision is based on our commitment to providing a reliable, secure and robust experience for all customers and seeking additional feedback before the feature is available to all PC Copilot+ users.”
Microsoft noted that work on Recall is guided by the Secure Future Initiative, an ongoing attempt to improve security methods and practices.
After Windows Insiders have a chance to provide feedback, Recall will be available to anyone who has a Copilot+ PC.
People interested in the Windows Insider program can join for free.
Microsoft changed recovery from active by default to voluntary
While Microsoft assured customers that Recall data would only be stored locally, security researchers like Kevin Beaumont noted that attackers don't even need physical access to a Copilot+ laptop to exfiltrate Recall data. About a week after this discovery, Microsoft made some changes to how Recall works.
- The withdrawal will be voluntary.
- To use Recall, you'll need to sign up for Windows Hello, which lets you sign in with facial recognition, fingerprint, or PIN instead of a password, and provide proof of presence, such as your face being visible to the laptop.
- Encrypt the search index database that is used for remembering.
SEE: Are you curious about Microsoft Copilot? Our cheat sheet has details on Redmond's AI PC plans and more.
Microsoft faces security investigation
The changes to Recall come amid a discussion about Microsoft's overall security posture in the US Congress. On June 13, Microsoft President Brad Smith spoke before the House Homeland Security Committee about a federal report that suggested Microsoft's security posture contributed to a breach last year by state actors. .
How does Recall compare to Apple Intelligence?
Apple's answer to Copilot+ PCs is its upcoming Apple Intelligence, created in part through a partnership with OpenAI. Apple Intelligence works primarily by allowing Siri to respond to more natural questions, as well as providing the summarization and translation functions that generative AI has been proven to perform. Apple Intelligence runs on the device and on Apple servers when needed. Since it was announced this week, security researchers haven't had as much time to delve into how Apple Intelligence works.
But, having waited longer than its competitors to integrate AI into its laptops, Apple appears to have a greater awareness of potential security issues. At WWDC, Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said, “You shouldn't have to hand over every detail of your life to be stored and analyzed in someone's AI cloud.”
