Windows Recall — What It Remembers About You and How to Control It
- admin cys
- May 27
- 3 min read
A Report by CYS Global Remit Network Admin Support Team
A relatively new feature has arrived on certain Windows PCs that is worth understanding before you decide whether to keep it switched on. It is called Recall, and it is part of Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative — a set of AI-powered features built into a new generation of Windows hardware.
When Recall first became public knowledge, it generated considerable concern. Headlines described it as a system that continuously screenshots everything you do on your computer. The reality is more nuanced — and Microsoft has since made meaningful changes to how it works. Here is a calm, factual look at what Recall actually does, what it does not do, and how to manage it.
What Is Windows Recall?
Recall is an AI-powered feature that takes periodic snapshots of your screen as you work. It analyses these snapshots to build a searchable history of your activity — so you can later search for something like 'that article about mortgage rates I was reading last Tuesday' and Recall will find the relevant snapshot.
Think of it as a visual search history for your entire computer, not just your browser.
It is available exclusively on Copilot+ PCs, which are a specific category of Windows laptop and desktop with dedicated AI processing hardware. If you have an older Windows device, Recall is not running on it.
What Has Microsoft Changed Since Launch?
Following the initial public reaction, Microsoft made several significant changes before releasing Recall more widely:
It is now opt-in. Recall is not enabled by default. When setting up a Copilot+ PC, you are given a clear choice about whether to turn it on.
All data stays on your device. Snapshots are stored locally and encrypted. They do not go to Microsoft's servers or the cloud.
Sensitive content is filtered. Recall is designed to avoid capturing passwords, credit card numbers, and content from private browsing windows.
You can pause or delete anytime. You can stop Recall from running with a single click from the system tray, and you can delete any individual snapshot or your entire history at any time.
How to Check Whether Recall Is Running on Your PC
If you have a Copilot+ PC, here is how to check your Recall settings:
Step 1: Click the Start button and go to Settings.
Step 2: Navigate to Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots.
Step 3: Here you will see whether Recall is enabled, how much storage it is using, and options to manage or delete your snapshot history.
If you do not see this menu, your PC does not support Recall and it is not running.
How to Turn Recall Off Completely
If you would prefer not to use Recall at all:
Option 1 (Quick pause): Look for the Recall icon in the system tray at the bottom right of your screen. Click it and select 'Pause until tomorrow' or 'Turn off' to stop snapshots immediately.
Option 2 (Permanent): Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots and toggle Recall to 'Off'. This stops all future snapshots and preserves any existing history until you choose to delete it.
Option 3 (Full deletion): In the same settings page, select 'Delete all snapshots' to wipe the entire history from your device.
If You Do Want to Use It — Set Sensible Limits
For those who find the search feature genuinely useful, Recall does offer some controls to limit what it captures:
You can exclude specific apps from being captured — useful if you use a particular app for sensitive work.
Private browsing windows in Edge, Chrome, and Firefox are excluded by default.
You can set a storage limit so Recall automatically deletes older snapshots when the cap is reached.
These settings are all in Settings → Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots under 'Manage my Recall settings'.
The Broader Takeaway
Recall is a genuinely useful idea — a search function for your own memory of what you have done on your computer. Whether or not it is right for you depends on how you weigh that convenience against your personal comfort with activity being recorded locally.
What matters most is that you make that choice actively, rather than discovering the feature is running without realising it. Now that you know it exists, the decision is yours.
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