Microsofts Controversial Recall Windows Feature Is Delayed Again

Microsoft has once again delayed the rollout of its controversial Recall feature for Copilot Plus PCs. The feature was originally supposed to roll out in June, then was delayed again to October.

This newest delay pushes the release of Windows Recall all the way to December. Microsoft's senior product manager of Windows, Brandon LeBlanc, told The Verge, “We are committed to delivering a secure and trusted experience with Recall. To ensure we deliver on these important updates, we’re taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders. Originally planned for October, Recall will now be available for preview with Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs by December."

Microsoft

Microsoft claims the delays are due to the company's efforts to improve the security of Recall. The feature was originally delayed from June to October because many pointed out security concerns. The initial version took periodic screenshots of your PC's screen, then indexed the contents in a searchable database, but both the screenshots and database were not encrypted. This can be a bad situation if a hacker gets access to a user's PC, because they could theoretically use that search feature to find banking and health information and get convenient screenshots.

Microsoft has made sure to clarify that Recall is not mandatory, and can be completely removed and uninstalled. There are also still no plans to roll it out to PCs that aren't in the Copilot+ PC family. Still, this delay shows that this is a big issue of contention, and since it still needs more tests from Windows Insiders, its future still isn't certain. The company has gone out of its way to try and make this feature safer, but it will take a while for that trust to be earned with users, if it ever happens.

Source: The Verge