If you have ever spent ten minutes trying to find something you know you saw on your PC a few days ago, whether it was a website, a document someone shared in a chat, or a specific slide in a presentation you only glanced at, you understand the problem Windows 11 Recall is built to solve. Recall gives your PC a searchable memory of everything you have done on it. You describe what you are looking for in plain language, and Recall finds the moment you saw it. This guide explains what Recall actually is, how it works technically, what it does and does not capture, how the privacy model works, and how to use or disable it.
What Is Windows 11 Recall?
Windows 11 Recall is an AI-powered feature exclusive to Copilot+ PCs that creates a searchable visual timeline of your PC activity. It works by periodically taking screenshots of your active screen, analyzing them using on-device AI, and building a searchable database from everything it has seen. When you want to find something, you open the Recall app and describe it in natural language, the same way you would describe a memory to another person.
For example, you might search for "that article about electric cars I was reading last week" or "the blue slide from the PowerPoint presentation my colleague sent" or "the website with the recipe I looked at on Tuesday." Recall searches through its stored snapshots and surfaces the relevant moments so you can click directly back into them.
Recall was first announced in May 2024 as one of the flagship features of Copilot+ PCs. Its initial launch was delayed multiple times after security researchers discovered that early versions stored captured data in unencrypted plain text, which would have made it a significant security risk. Microsoft overhauled the feature substantially, made it fully opt-in, and rolled it out broadly from April 2025 onwards. As of late 2025, Recall is generally available on all Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11.
What Is a Copilot+ PC?
Recall only runs on Copilot+ PCs, so it is worth understanding what that means. A Copilot+ PC is a Windows 11 device with a Neural Processing Unit capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second. These are dedicated AI processors built into newer laptops and desktops from manufacturers including Microsoft, Dell, HP, ASUS, Lenovo, and Samsung using Qualcomm Snapdragon X, AMD Ryzen AI 300, and Intel Core Ultra 200 series chips.
The NPU is what makes Recall possible. All the AI analysis of screenshots happens locally on your device using the NPU rather than being sent to the cloud. No internet connection is required for Recall to work, and no data leaves your PC. This on-device processing is a deliberate privacy design choice, not just a technical convenience.
How Recall Works
When Recall is enabled, Windows 11 takes a screenshot of your active window every few seconds while you are using your PC. These screenshots are called snapshots. The AI processes each snapshot locally to extract meaningful information including text, objects, people, apps, and context. This information is stored in an encrypted local database indexed for semantic search.
The snapshots themselves are stored on your device's SSD in an encrypted form. Microsoft states that the minimum storage allocation is 25GB and the feature is available on devices with at least a 256GB SSD. As the storage allocation fills up, older snapshots are automatically deleted to make room for newer ones.
When you open the Recall app and type a search query, the on-device AI interprets your natural language description and matches it against the indexed content of your snapshots. It returns the relevant moments as thumbnail images in a timeline. Clicking any result takes you back to that exact moment, with the option to open the relevant app, file, or website directly.
Recall also features a visual timeline you can scroll through manually to browse your activity by day and time segment, even without searching for something specific. This acts as a chronological record of what you were working on, making it easy to pick up where you left off after being away.
What Recall Does and Does Not Capture
Recall captures screenshots of whatever is visible on your active screen while you are using your PC. It works across all apps, browsers, documents, and content visible on screen.
There are important exclusions built in by default. Recall does not capture screenshots of private browsing sessions in Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Opera. It filters out password fields in all applications so that passwords typed into login forms are not captured in snapshots. It does not record audio. But It does not take screenshots while Windows Game Mode is active, so gaming sessions are excluded by default.
You can also manually filter out specific apps or websites so their content is never captured. If you work in a sensitive application you do not want Recall to snapshot, you add it to the filter list in settings and Recall skips that app entirely. You can also pause Recall temporarily at any time from the system tray, which stops all snapshot capture until you resume it.
How Recall Protects Your Privacy
Privacy is the most important and most debated aspect of Recall, so it is worth understanding the technical protections in detail rather than taking them on faith.
All snapshots and the database derived from them are stored locally on your device and encrypted. The encryption keys are protected by the Trusted Platform Module hardware chip in your PC and tied to your Windows Hello identity. This means the snapshots can only be decrypted and accessed after you authenticate with your face, fingerprint, or biometric PIN through Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security. Every time you open the Recall app, Windows Hello authentication is required.
Microsoft states explicitly that Recall does not share your snapshots or associated data with Microsoft, does not share it with third parties, and does not share it between different user accounts on the same device. The AI processing happens entirely on the NPU in your PC. No internet connection is used for snapshot capture or analysis.
Recall is completely opt-in. It is not enabled by default. During first setup of a Copilot+ PC, Windows asks whether you want to enable Recall and defaults to disabled. You have to make a deliberate choice to turn it on.
How to Enable and Use Recall
To enable Recall, open Settings with Windows key + I. Go to Privacy and security, then select Recall and snapshots. Toggle on the Save snapshots switch. You will need to have Windows Hello configured with at least one biometric option before you can enable Recall.
Once enabled, snapshots begin capturing as you use your PC. To open the Recall app, press Windows key + J or search for Recall in the Start menu. Windows Hello will ask you to authenticate before the app opens.
Inside Recall, you will see a search bar at the top and a visual timeline below it. Type a natural language description of what you are looking for into the search bar and press Enter. Recall displays matching snapshots as thumbnails. Click any thumbnail to view the full snapshot and click through to the relevant app, file, or website.
To browse your history without searching, scroll through the timeline. Snapshots are organized by day and time. Hovering over any segment of the timeline shows a preview of what you were doing at that time.
How to Filter Apps and Websites From Recall
If there are apps or websites you never want Recall to capture, go to Settings, Privacy and security, then Recall and snapshots. Click on Manage snapshots to access filtering options. You can add specific applications to an exclusion list so their content is never included in snapshots. For websites, you can add specific domains to a block list so Recall never captures content from those sites regardless of which browser you use.
How to Delete Snapshots
You retain full control over your stored snapshots at any time. In Settings under Recall and snapshots, you can delete all snapshots from a specific time period, delete snapshots from specific apps or websites, or delete all snapshots entirely. You can also reset Recall completely, which removes all stored data and returns the feature to its default disabled state.
To remove Recall from Windows entirely rather than just disabling it, search for Turn Windows features on or off in the Start menu, uncheck Recall from the list, and restart your PC. All previously saved snapshots are deleted when Recall is removed.
Should You Use Recall?
Recall is a genuinely useful feature for specific types of users. If you regularly struggle to relocate things you have previously seen on your PC, whether documents, websites, conversations, or research, Recall can save a meaningful amount of time. The natural language search works well for the kinds of vague recollections that make finding things manually difficult.
The concerns about Recall are legitimate and worth taking seriously. The feature creates a detailed record of your PC activity. Even with encryption and Windows Hello protection, that record exists on your device and represents a concentration of sensitive information. If your device were compromised by sophisticated malware, the encrypted snapshots could become a target.
For most everyday users on personal devices who are not handling highly sensitive professional data, the current implementation with its opt-in model, Windows Hello authentication, local encryption, and app filtering is reasonably secure. For anyone working with legally privileged information, financial data, medical records, or other sensitive professional content, the default of keeping Recall disabled is the more prudent choice.
Recall vs Windows Search: What Is the Difference?
| Feature | Recall | Windows Search |
|---|---|---|
| What it searches | Everything visible on screen, including web content, app content, and documents | Local files and indexed content only |
| Search method | Natural language description | File names and keywords |
| Requires Copilot+ PC | Yes | No |
| Captures screen content | Yes | No |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy controls | App filters, time filters, delete controls | No equivalent capture |
| Enabled by default | No | Yes |
Final Thoughts
Windows Recall is one of the more genuinely novel features Microsoft has added to Windows in years, and also one of the most misunderstood. The controversy around its early development was warranted given what was found, but the version that shipped broadly in 2025 is substantially different. It is opt-in, locally encrypted, hardware-protected, and gives you complete control over what is captured and what is deleted. Whether it is right for you depends on how useful searchable PC memory would be in your workflow and how comfortable you are with any feature that captures your screen activity. The controls are transparent and the off switch is always accessible if you change your mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windows 11 Recall work on any Windows 11 PC?
No. Recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, which are Windows 11 devices with a Neural Processing Unit capable of at least 40 trillion operations per second. Standard Windows 11 PCs without a qualifying NPU cannot use Recall regardless of which version of Windows 11 is installed.
Is Windows 11 Recall enabled by default?
No. Recall is disabled by default on all Copilot+ PCs. You must explicitly choose to enable it through Settings, Privacy and security, Recall and snapshots. Windows also requires Windows Hello biometric authentication to be configured before Recall can be turned on.
Does Recall send my screenshots to Microsoft?
No. All snapshot capture and AI analysis happens locally on your device using the NPU. Microsoft states that snapshots are not shared with Microsoft, not shared with third parties, and not accessible between user accounts on the same device. No internet connection is required for Recall to function.
Can Recall capture my passwords?
Recall is designed to filter out password fields automatically so that passwords typed into login forms are not captured in snapshots. It also does not capture content in private browsing sessions in major browsers including Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. You can also manually exclude specific apps from being captured.
How do I completely remove Recall from Windows 11?
Search for Turn Windows features on or off in the Start menu, uncheck Recall from the list, and restart your PC. All saved snapshots are permanently deleted when Recall is removed. You can re-enable it later by returning to the same list and selecting Recall before restarting.
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