Windows 11 24H2 hits pause button on Recall AI due to security concerns

• The Windows Recall feature won’t be released with Copilot+ PCs on June 18.
• Microsoft needs more time to test and fix security risks with the feature.
• A preview of Recall AI will be available to Insiders in the coming weeks.
• It’s unclear when the AI feature will be available for compatible devices.

Microsoft has officially announced the delay in the release of Windows Recall. This means it won’t be available when the Copilot+ PCs start shipping on June 18.

Originally, the company was planning to release its photographic memory feature, which takes screenshots of everything you do on your computer and applies on-device AI to make every activity searchable with natural language. Now, the software giant is changing the plan to take more time to test the feature first with Windows Insider Program participants and ensure it meets the “high standards for quality and security.”

In other words, Windows Recall will not be available on June 18 for Copilot+ PC owners or Insider program participants. In the meantime, the company will hold back the feature to continue internal testing and implementation of the previously announced security changes.

In the coming weeks, the feature is expected to arrive through the Windows Insider Program, but only for Copilot+ PC as the hardware requirements dictate that Windows Recall needs a CPU with NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with more than 40 TOPS of performance, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD.

Microsoft first showed off the Recall AI feature at its Surface and Windows press event as a new way to find anything you have done on your computer. However, shortly after the event, it was discovered that the feature had many security risks since the snapshots and database were easily accessible and stored in clear text, which could make it easier for hackers to target this data and scrape your information using malicious applications.

After listening to the feedback, the software giant took a step back to recognize the problem and then announced that it would be adding several extra protection layers. These changes include encrypting the Windows Recall data and requiring Windows Hello authentication to decrypt and access the timeline.

Furthermore, the plan was to enable the feature by default, but now, the Windows 11 Setup is being modified to include a clear option to enable or disable the feature on a computer.

The decision to pause the rollout of Windows Recall comes shortly after the upcoming security changes were announced and after the company revealed its new Secure Future Initiative (SFI) to make security the top priority.

Although Microsoft is now taking the proper steps, this shouldn’t have happened, as these new security measures and testing should have been there from the beginning. Usually, the company builds a feature and makes it publicly available through the Windows Insider Program, but in the case of Windows Recall, it was a feature developed in secret without any external testing.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft delaying its Windows Recall feature? Let me know in the comments.