Windows 11’s controversial Recall feature could soon arrive for Copilot+ PCs – I just hope Microsoft’s tightening of its privacy is up to scratch

There’ll be no shortage of security experts and hackers lining up to test Recall’s defenses, let’s face it

11 Apr 2025, 10:19 · TechRadar

News By Darren Allan published 11 April 2025

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Recall has entered the final stage of testing in Windows 11 previews
This means it could soon be released for all Copilot+ PCs
However, the rollout will likely be a gradual one (as is the case in Release Preview testing right now)

Those wondering where Windows 11’s controversial Recall feature has got to – last seen lost in testing somewhere – well, it looks like Microsoft is readying to release this AI-powered search functionality for real soon enough.

The Verge highlighted that Microsoft has pushed out a new test build (version 26100.3902) in the Release Preview channel, and that this comes with both Recall and its partner feature Click to Do (context-sensitive AI-driven suggestions).

There are four main testing channels for Windows 11, and Release Preview is the last stage before hitting finished versions of the desktop operating system – as the name denotes, it’s the final stage before release.

In short, it looks like Recall and Click to Do could soon arrive for everyone (who has a Copilot+ PC – remember, these AI features need the powerful NPU that’s a requirement for those devices).

When Recall does pitch up, it’ll be optimized for only an initial small set of languages. Those are: English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

For those who’ve forgotten – though that’s unlikely, given all the controversy this capability has caused since its revelation last year – Recall uses AI and regularly taken screenshots of the activity on your PC to drive an in-depth natural language search. (Queries such as: “Find that document where I wrote my packing list for holidays abroad.”)

While that certainly promises to be very useful, there have been many privacy and security concerns around Recall, which has led Microsoft to take a bunch of steps to shore up those areas. That includes the introduction of Windows Hello sign-in to confirm it’s actually you present at the Copilot+ PC when using Recall.

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