Microsoft today released the first preview of its Recall AI feature for Copilot Plus PCs. After a series of delays, Windows Insiders on the Dev Channel can now install a new version of Windows 11 which includes Recall and Click to Do, a feature very similar to Google’s Circle to Search.
Recall takes screenshots of almost everything you do on a Copilot Plus PC to make it searchable and make it easier to recall a memory or retrace your steps. If you enable Recall snapshot recording, you can use the Recall app to search what you were previously working on with natural language queries. There’s also a drop-down timeline that lets you go back to a specific date and search for apps or websites you were using. Recall’s search results use AI to match text and visual elements in snapshots.
Recall is a completely optional experience, so you need to opt-in and enable it. If you decide to try it using the Dev channel, the Recall and Click to Do templates will start downloading in the background once you install the latest version. The preview is initially only available on Qualcomm-powered Copilot Plus PCs, with support for Intel- and AMD-powered Copilot Plus PCs coming soon.
You can control which snapshots are saved and easily delete them. Microsoft also offers a way to exclude apps and websites from recall, and the feature should also automatically detect sensitive information such as credit card details, passwords and personal identification numbers and not not save these snapshots.
Microsoft will not have access to any Recall snapshots, and they will not be sent to the cloud or used to train Microsoft’s AI models. “We don’t send your snapshots of your PC to Microsoft or third parties, and we don’t use them for training purposes,” says Microsoft’s Windows Insider team. “Microsoft can’t access the keys to view your encrypted data, so we can’t restore your snapshots if you delete Windows Hello or restore your snapshots if you need to reset your PC or move to a new PC.”
The reminder requires you to use Windows Hello to confirm your presence and access the feature, and also requires BitLocker and Secure Boot, both of which must already be enabled on a Copilot Plus PC.
Click to Do is also part of Recall in this new Windows 11 test build. Click to Do is designed to recognize text and images in Recall snapshots so you can use AI-based actions on them, like copying text or saving images from old snapshots. .
Click to Do will eventually also work outside of Recall by pressing the Windows key on a keyboard and left-clicking on a mouse to see an interactive overlay appear on your screen. This interface will allow you to select images or text to perform clickable actions. In the future, you will also be able to use Click to Do on items like a YouTube video to visually search for an item that appears in the video using Bing.
The recall will be a big test for Microsoft’s AI ambitions in Windows. The controversial feature was initially supposed to debut alongside Copilot Plus PCs in June, but Microsoft pulled through. forced to hold back after security concerns were raised. Microsoft then Delayed reminder several times, choosing to review your securitymaking it an opt-in experience and allowing PC Copilot Plus owners to uninstall it completely.
Security researchers will now take a closer look at Recall in its preview state ahead of a wider release aimed at Copilot Plus PC owners.