Microsoft just delayed the recall again

Microsoft is once again delaying the introduction of the controversial Recall feature for Copilot Plus computers. The software giant planned to start testing Recall, which takes screenshots of most everything you see and do on your Copilot Plus PC, in October as part of its Windows Insiders program. Now Microsoft says it needs more time to prepare this feature.

“We are committed to providing a sheltered and trustworthy experience with Recall. To ensure we deliver these crucial updates, we are taking extra time to refine the experience before previewing it in the Windows Insiders program,” says Brandon LeBlanc, senior product manager for Windows, in a statement to Edge” Originally scheduled for release in October, Recall will now be available for preview as part of the Windows Insiders program on Copilot Plus computers through December.

Microsoft was initially forced to hold off on the recall after security concerns emerged ahead of its planned debut on Copilot Plus computers in June. After a launch delay, Recall was scheduled to arrive for Windows Insiders just a few weeks later. Microsoft then rescheduled the recall to October, and it will now take place in December.

Microsoft’s numerous delays are related to the need to change Recall’s security measures, making it a voluntary option and allowing owners of Copilot Plus computers to completely uninstall it. Microsoft has spent the last few months focusing on ensuring that the Recall database is fully encrypted and that the only way to gain access is through Windows Hello authentication.

The Recall app uses the local AI models built into Windows 11 on Copilot Plus computers to create screenshots of mostly everything you see or do on your computer, then lets you search and recover the things you saw. A clear timeline allows you to scroll through these snapshots to remind yourself of what you did that day on your computer.

Earlier this week, Microsoft again clarified that the Recall service will not be mandatory on Copilot Plus computers and will be an optional feature that can be removed completely. The clarification came after various YouTube videos claimed that Recall was being installed on any computer running Windows 11 version 24H2.

Good old-fashioned fear, uncertainty and doubt have spread far and wide, simply because of certain Recall references appearing in 24H2. Microsoft’s complete removal of the Recall feature over the summer appears to have led to some bugs in the look and feel of the feature in Windows 11.