Microsoft pulls Recall from initial launch of Copilot+ PCs

Microsoft has decided to pull its controversial Recall feature from the initial wave of Copilot+ PCs and fully test it via the Windows Insider program before it lands on customer PCs.

According to a June 13th update to a blog post Microsoft originally published on June 7th, Recall will now be released as a preview to the Insider program “in the coming weeks.”

“We are adjusting the release model for Recall to leverage the expertise of the Windows Insider community to ensure the experience meets our high standards for quality and security,” the blog post, originally authored by Microsoft vice president of Windows and Devices Pavan Davuluri, now reads.

Recall, launched in conjunction with the first wave of Copilot+ PCs, was the flagship feature of the Windows 11 update that accompanied the new devices. Using the NPUs found on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processors and subsequent chips from Intel and AMD, Recall was a search engine of sorts for your own PC. Recall was a great concept in theory, but stored required large chunks of storage. Opponents pounced on the fact that Recall was on by default, as it constantly took snapshots of your PCs desktop and then stored them in easily accessible locations on your PC.

Microsoft then said it would turn Recall off by default, require Windows Hello to use Recall, and also use just-in-time-decryption to secure the stored data further. Microsoft used that opportunity to backtrack from Recall and the latest update moves it further back.

Microsoft said that it still plans to “make Recall (preview) available to all Copilot+ PCs coming soon.” But, the company added, “this decision is rooted in our commitment to providing a trusted, secure and robust experience for all customers and to seek additional feedback prior to making the feature available to all Copilot+ PC users.”

Unfortunately, Microsoft has probably only succeeded in making everyone unhappy: those who hoped to test and try out Copilot+ — including those who preordered Copilot+ PCs — won’t be able to access it and those who still hate the concept are still fuming that Recall will eventually become another headache to manage.

Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor

As PCWorld’s senior editor, Mark focuses on Microsoft news and chip technology, among other beats. He has formerly written for PCMag, BYTE, Slashdot, eWEEK, and ReadWrite.

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