Windows Recall is once again recalled

Recall in Windows 11

Remember Windows Recall, a flagship Copilot+ PC feature that was supposed to launch in June of this year? Following controversies with privacy issues, Microsoft is once again recalling Recall. This time, it plans to ship the feature for public testing in December 2024.

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc confirmed that Recall needs more time in the oven as Microsoft takes more time to "refine the experience."

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.

The initial plan was to ship Windows Recall with the first wave of Copilot+ PCs, such as the Surface Pro 11 and the Surface Laptop 7. However, users quickly discovered that Recall had some significant privacy issues, which forced Microsoft to change its plans and take the feature back to its software labs.

After months of radio silence and waiting, Microsoft finally revealed significant security improvements for Recall. By the end of September 2024, the company announced plans to return Recall to public testing somewhere in October 2024. But with October counting its last hours, Recall is still nowhere to be found, and we now know why.

Although it is a bit disappointing to see Microsoft failing to deliver its flagship feature, Copilot+ PCs still have a lot of exciting features already available and coming soon. At the beginning of this month, Microsoft announced a new set of AI-powered features, such as Super Resolution, Click to Do, and more. Some of those capabilities are already available for testing in the Insider program.

By the way, you do not need a Snapdragon X-powered computer to run Recall. Microsoft confirmed that the feature would be available on systems with Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 processors and AMD's Ryzen 300 AI chips.