Windows 11 finally gets controversial new feature | Tech News

Microsoft is releasing its controversial software program feature Recall for Windows 11 a number of months after it was initially introduced. The firm introduced in a weblog post the device that may screenshot every thing you do in your pc so yow will discover stuff later is now out there for people signed up to the firm’s Release Preview Channel scheme.

Windows 11 has been round for 4 years now, and Microsoft pushes out common software program updates to keep issues ticking alongside for its thousands and thousands of customers. One of the most recent additions to the working system is Copilot, Microsoft’s new AI assistant device, however there are even some new laptops offered particularly generally known as Copilot Plus PCs.

These embody PCs from Microsoft itself in addition to companions reminiscent of HP, Dell, Asus, Samsung and others. Microsoft launched this new breed of computer systems back in June 2024 and previewed a new software program feature that the additional AI energy would enable, referred to as Recall.

This feature principally takes common screenshots of every thing you do in your PC and storing them so you’ll be able to ask the Copilot assistant in your pc to seek out the precise factor you have been doing. This is likely to be a query to seek out an article you have been studying, a half of a presentation, a particular photograph or a track enjoying on (*11*)YouTube.

Recall was meant to be one of the large new options to ship with Copilot Plus PCs once they launched final yr, however Microsoft determined to delay it after a backlash that urged how the screenshots have been saved was insecure and might be attainable for hackers to simply entry the screenshots and swipe all of your PC exercise in image type.

“Recall (preview)* saves you time by offering an entirely new way to search for things you’ve seen or done on your PC securely,” Microsoft mentioned within the weblog post. “With the AI capabilities of Copilot+ PCs, it’s now possible to quickly find and get back to any app, website, image, or document just by describing its content.”

The firm has taken its time to release Recall after the backlash, and even now this isn’t the total public release. Windows 11 customers can decide in to the Release Preview Channel this replace is for, the place they obtain new software program options earlier than the public, with the understanding there could also be bugs current.

“To use Recall, you will need to opt-in to saving snapshots, which are images of your activity, and enroll in Windows Hello to confirm your presence so only you can access your snapshots,” Microsoft mentioned. “You are always in control of what snapshots are saved and can pause saving snapshots at any time.

“As you use your Copilot+ PC throughout the day working on documents or presentations, taking video calls, and context switching across activities, Recall will take regular snapshots and help you find things faster and easier. When you need to find or get back to something you’ve done previously, open Recall and authenticate with Windows Hello. When you’ve found what you were looking for, you can reopen the application, website, or document, or use Click to Do to act on any image or text in the snapshot you found.”

It stays to be seen if and when Recall might be rolled out to each appropriate Windows 11 PC.