Microsoft’s new Recall feature lets your PC remember everything you do: Here’s how it works

Microsoft

Wouldn’t it be great if your computer could remember everything you did, every file you opened, every website you visited, every video you watched — and help you find it all later with just a few clicks? That’s exactly what Microsoft is trying to do with a new feature it’s testing called Recall.

This tool is being rolled out slowly to people testing early versions of Windows, and it might soon be available to more users. It was originally supposed to launch last year, but Microsoft delayed it after people raised concerns about privacy and security. Experts were worried about what could happen if someone else got access to all that stored information.

To ease those fears, Microsoft has made sure that the feature is turned off by default. You have to choose to switch it on, and you can also pause or stop it anytime. The company says this gives users more control over how much of their digital activity gets saved.
Here’s how it works: your PC takes regular snapshots — like screenshots — of whatever you’re doing. These are stored securely on your own device. Later, you can search through them to find that chart you were looking at last Tuesday, or a recipe you forgot to bookmark. It’s like giving your computer a photographic memory — just for you.

Only newer Windows computers called Copilot Plus PCs (which are built to handle AI-powered tools) can use this feature, and even then, only testers in Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program are getting access right now.

Some who have tried it say it’s a mix of being “creepy, clever, and compelling.” Creepy, because of how closely it watches your activity; clever, because it can be really helpful; and compelling, because it solves the common problem of forgetting where you saw something.Whether you’re excited or unsure, this feature is likely to spark a lot of conversation when it becomes more widely available.