Windows Recall has finally fixed most of its privacy concerns

Microsoft’s Windows Recall was announced back in May this year, however, it was recalled immediately due to privacy and security concerns by critics. Fast forward to now, Microsoft has made some efforts in the time it has had to polish the feature before its final release, and it has done a pretty good job.

ALSO READ: Microsoft launches new Windows app to access your PC on iPhone, Android, and Mac

Windows Recall has become more secure and private, thanks to some key changes that Microsoft has done, as revealed in its blog post. Let’s see what has improved, and if it makes the feature less controversial and more privacy and security focused.

Windows Recall has been improved, and it's coming soon

Starting with the most basic, yet, much-needed change, Recall will be opt-in at launch and won’t be a default feature. This means only those who know the feature can let it take snapshots and create a virtual timeline on the device, and those who do not know about it, can better keep it off for their privacy.

Also, all the data, including the screenshots, will be within Virtualization-based Security Enclave (VBS), so attackers cannot access the data and know what you did on your machine. Additionally, Microsoft has previously said that all the Recall’s data will be stored locally on your machine instead of a server.

ALSO READ: 7 upcoming Windows 11 features worth looking forward to

Furthermore, to access Recall and let it start taking snapshots, users will have to sign-in with Windows Hello. Users will also get full control of Recall, as they will be able to filter out specific apps or websites viewed in supported browsers. Also, they will be able to control how long the Recall content is saved and how much disk space is allocated for the snapshots

Moreover, users will be able to delete a time range and all the content from an app or website that they wish to not let Recall save. Other than this, Microsoft’s vice president of entreprise and OS security, David Weston, separately confirmed that Recall can also be uninstalled on Copilot+ PCs if not needed.

With all the aforementioned changes, Windows Recall appears to be less controversial and more appealing, which could lead to a smooth release in October. Note that Recall will be available exclusively to Copilot+ PCs.