What you need to know
- After months of delay, Microsoft is finally ready to publicly test its controversial Windows Recall feature.
- Now available in the Insider Dev Channel, Copilot+ PCs with a Snapdragon processor can begin testing Recall.
- Click To Do is now also available to try in preview in the same Insider build.
- Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs are excluded from this initial preview.
After multiple delays, Microsoft is finally ready to publicly test its controversial Windows Recall feature. Today, the company is releasing a new Windows 11 preview build (26120.2415) for Insiders in the Dev Channel that includes both Windows Recall and Click To Do, Microsoft's new AI overlay feature that was announced last month. These are the first two major Copilot+ features to land since Copilot+ PCs first launched back in June.
Since Recall was delayed, Microsoft has been working hard to ensure the feature is as secure as possible. The company has addressed security flaws around how it stored data locally, making it so everything Recall captures is now encrypted and inaccessible to third-party apps and users. The feature now also requires Windows Hello and is off by default, meaning you will need to manually turn it on when you upgrade to this build.
"We also want to recognize the contributions of researchers and the security community in shaping Recall," says Microsoft in the release notes for this preview build. The company is inviting this group to try out the new security and privacy enhancements and submit feedback if they find any issues.
Microsoft still promises that the data Recall collects is only viewable by you. Microsoft cannot see any of the data it captures, doesn't upload that data to the cloud, doesn't use that data to train its own AI models, and doesn't sell that data to third parties. It's also important to remember that Recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, meaning users installing build 26120.2415 on a non-Copilot+ PC won't see Windows Recall or Click To Do.
In this initial preview, the new features are exclusive to Copilot+ PCs with a Snapdragon X processor. That means Intel and AMD-powered Copilot+ PCs will not be able to join the preview to try Windows Recall just yet, which will be very frustrating for customers who recently purchased an Intel Lunar Lake or AMD Strix Point-powered device. Microsoft doesn't give an ETA for when Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs will be able to join in on the fun, either.
I'll be doing a hands-on video walkthrough of the new Insider build to showcase how it works and all the changes. Keep it locked to the Windows Central YouTube channel to see that video when it drops!
