Microsoft’s Recall feature is getting a second chance after being put on hold. The company has updated its blog, revealing that the feature will begin testing with Windows Insiders starting in October.
“We are committed to providing a secure and reliable Recall (preview) experience for Copilot+ PC users. Recall will be available to Windows Insiders starting in October as part of our continued effort to refine it before its broader release,” Microsoft stated.
The blog did not specify which Insider channels will participate in this testing phase. Generally, experimental features are tested in the Canary and Dev channels before reaching the Beta and Release Preview channels, which are more stable.
Recall, first unveiled in May 2024 at a Microsoft Build event, was intended to be a flagship feature for Copilot+ PCs. It promised to enhance productivity by capturing periodic snapshots of the screen and using AI to make previously seen information searchable.
The concept faced criticism over privacy and storage concerns. While Microsoft assured users that Recall could be disabled, the idea of archiving screen content raised fears about potential misuse and data security.
After its initial removal from the Windows 11 24H2 preview build for additional testing, Microsoft has yet to confirm any changes to Recall or its functionality. More details are expected to be disclosed in a future blog post.