Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all
It turns out Windows 11 users won't be able to uninstall Microsoft's controversial "Recall" feature after all.
Recall is a Copilot+ feature announced in May that essentially takes constant screenshots of your behavior while using operating system, ostensibly for users to easily find previous work.
A report by Deskmodder seemed to reveal recent Windows 11 update 24H2 allows users to completely uninstall the feature. But now, in a statement to The Verge, Microsoft clarified that that the uninstall option was just a bug.
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"We are aware of an issue where Recall is incorrectly listed as an option under the 'Turn Windows features on or off' dialog in Control Panel," said Windows senior product manager Brandon LeBlanc to the outlet. "This will be fixed in an upcoming update."
When Microsoft announced Recall, it was intended to be baked into Windows 11's functions. The feature tracks everything you do on compatible Windows PCs and uses an on-device generative AI model to retrieve particular information a user is looking for, by filing through a library of screenshots saved on the device. Critics of the feature immediately pointed out that it is highly susceptible to cybersecurity flaws since it indiscriminately saves sensitive information like passwords, confidential work, and personal information.
Former Microsoft security expert Kevin Beaumont described it as a cybersecurity "disaster."
"Stealing everything you’ve ever typed or viewed on your own Windows PC is now possible with two lines of code," said Beaumont.
The public backlash to the new feature led to Microsoft just days after its May announcement following up with a new statement that the Recall feature would be opt-in and therefore switched off by default.
It is also being investigated by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for violations of user privacy. But after all the outcry and potential legal ramifications,
Recall was initially slated for release in June, but was delayed as Microsoft scrambled to address security concerns. Now, it will launch in October to Windows Insiders testers.
Topics Artificial Intelligence Microsoft
Cecily is a tech reporter at Mashable who covers AI, Apple, and emerging tech trends. Before getting her master's degree at Columbia Journalism School, she spent several years working with startups and social impact businesses for Unreasonable Group and B Lab. Before that, she co-founded a startup consulting business for emerging entrepreneurial hubs in South America, Europe, and Asia. You can find her on X at @cecily_mauran.
