Last month, Microsoft released an optional update for Windows 11 version 24H2 on Copilot+ PCs. Users quickly discovered that the update delivered a new optional feature under an oddly familiar "Recall" name. This quickly led to speculations about Microsoft allowing users to uninstall Recall in the near future. Sadly, this is not true.
A Microsoft spokesperson told The Verge that Recall in the "Turn Windows Features on or off" section is nothing but a bug, and a future update will remove Recall from there:
We are aware of an issue where Recall is incorrectly listed as an option under the ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ dialog in Control Panel. This will be fixed in an upcoming update.
The company did not comment on whether there will be an option to uninstall Recall from Windows 11. European Union regulations have already forced Microsoft to make many Windows 11 components uninstallable, so it is possible that Recall would follow suit.
However, it is worth noting that the company recently announced that Recall would be a strict opt-in experience, and Windows 11 would not turn it on without explicit permission from the end user. Therefore, instead of ripping it off the operating system, you can just keep Recall turned off and enjoy the Copilot+ PC experience without Windows 11 taking a snapshot (Microsoft is not calling them just "screenshots") every few minutes.
Microsoft planned to release Recall alongside Copilot+ PCs in June 2024, but the launch was delayed after multiple privacy concerns. Now, Microsoft is preparing to re-release Recall to Windows Insiders somewhere in October before shipping the feature to all users in the Stable Channel.
Do you think Microsoft should make Recall uninstallable, or do you think keeping it off by default is enough? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
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