After months of delays stemming from privacy and security concerns, Microsoft has officially rolled out its Recall AI feature for users of Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs. The feature, which has now exited its beta phase, is included in the latest Windows update. Recall AI enables users to search their on-screen activity by automatically taking screenshots and storing them—along with any extracted text—in a locally encrypted and searchable database. This makes it easier for users to find and revisit previous interactions, such as documents, applications, or web pages, using natural language search. 

Originally introduced in May 2024, Recall AI faced widespread criticism due to concerns around user privacy and the potential for misuse. Microsoft delayed its public launch several times, including a planned release in October 2024, to address these issues and gather feedback from Windows Insider testers. 

In its revised version, Microsoft has made Recall AI an opt-in tool with built-in privacy protections. All data remains on the user’s device, with no transmission to Microsoft servers or third parties. Features such as Windows Hello authentication, full local encryption, and user control over data storage have been added to reinforce security. Microsoft assures users they can completely remove the feature at any time, although temporary system files may persist briefly before being permanently deleted. 

For enterprise users with an active Microsoft 365 E3 subscription, the company offers advanced administrative controls. These allow IT departments to set access permissions and manage security policies related to the use of Recall AI in workplace environments. Alongside Recall AI, Microsoft has also launched two additional features tailored to Copilot+ PCs. 

The improved Windows search function now interprets user queries more contextually and processes them using the device’s neural processing unit for faster and smarter results. Meanwhile, the Click to Do feature provides context-sensitive shortcuts, making tasks like copying or summarising text and images more efficient. In separate developments, Microsoft continues to advance its position in quantum computing.

Earlier this year, the company unveiled Majorana 1, a quantum chip based on a novel Topological Core architecture. According to Microsoft, this breakthrough has the potential to significantly accelerate solutions to industrial-scale problems using quantum technology.