Microsoft delays Recall rollout to December

Microsoft has delayed the rollout of its Windows Recall feature. The controversial feature — which takes regular screenshots of a user’s desktop screen — is now slated to launch in preview in December

Microsoft unveiled Recall in May, and initially intended to release it to Windows Insiders in June. Those plans were put on hold as Microsoft addressed data security and privacy concerns raised by experts about  Recall, with a new release date set for October. 

Microsoft said it had again postponed Recall’s release as it continues working on the feature. 

“We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall,” Brandon LeBlanc, senior product manager of Windows, said in a statement. “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.”

Pitched as an “explorable timeline of your PC’s past,” Recall has drew criticism from security and privacy experts, with some likening the feature to keylogging software.  When enabled, Recall will record all user actions  Copilot+ PCs, taking “snapshots” of the screen at five-second intervals. Users can then search a timeline of everything they’ve interacted with on their device, whether that’s an application, website, document, image, or anything else. 

Microsoft outlined plans to enhance security and privacy plans to enhance security and privacy measures in September. For instance, Recall is now opt-in, so Copilot+ PC users must turn the feature on or it won’t be record their screen. Biometric authentication is also required via Windows Hello each time a user wants to use Recall, and content filtering to prevent recording of sensitive data such as credit card details is turned on by default.