A few weeks ago, Microsoft presented new features. Among them, new devices focused on artificial intelligence and a function that was designed to assist its users. Recall it works like a kind of secretary, that person who knows everything we do — at work, of course — and who helps us with whatever we need because he or she knows everything. I don't know if this is the best analogy, but it's the one we'll use in this article.
The bad thing about secretaries is that they can be unprofessional and tell secrets. If you are socially engineered, having such a person around can be dangerous, and the same goes for Recall: A hacker can access all the information you store and it's a nightmare for privacy. For that reason, Microsoft delayed its launch, and we already know that it will arrive in October.
Recall can be removed
Recall was supposed to arrive in June along with the recently released ones Copilot+ PCs, taking screenshots of user activity. No detailed information has been published about security improvements to avoid privacy issues, but they have made one important change. In the example of the secretary, it would be possible to terminate her collaboration.
If we don't want a person who works for us to fail us and for something to get out, the easiest thing to imagine is their dismissal. When Recall returns in October, it will do so alongside a way to uninstall it. Available in Windows 11 with version 24h2 for PCs with Copilot+ processor, and implemented in KB5041865, users will be able to disable Recall from the optional features menu by pressing Ctrl + R and typing “optionalfeatures” without the quotes. Until now, it was only possible to disable the Recall feature without removing it from the system.
Microsoft says the improved Recall will include a clearer and more intuitive experience. will introduce security measures enhanced to ensure that locally stored data is encrypted and only accessible by authorized users. In addition, use of the feature will be voluntary, with an opt-in or opt-out option. Opt-in as this practice is known. A quick explanation would tell us that it has to be activated manually for it to work.
To activate it or not to activate it, that is the question
Features are created to make things better, otherwise they wouldn't make sense. When they introduced Recall weeks ago, it was some Security specialists raised the alarm. Recall can be useful, but I would wait for those same specialists to confirm that the security measures are sufficient to protect the privacy of its users. Once it is secure, who doesn't want an assistant to make us work less?