In a recent blog post by Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Windows and devices, the tech giant unveiled several changes made to the Recall feature available on their upcoming ARM-powered Copilot+ PCs. Recall, which allows users to find previously viewed content via ‘photographic memory’ screenshots, had raised privacy and safety concerns since its announcement.
Microsoft acknowledged this feedback and updated the setup process for Copilot+ laptops. Recall will now be opt-in rather than default, requiring users to manually enable it during setup. Additional security measures have also been put in place – Windows Hello authentication along with ‘proof of presence’ are now mandatory to access Recall snapshots. All images will be encrypted and only accessible via biometric login for privacy.
The company emphasized that Copilot+ devices will have enhanced hardware protections as Secured-core PCs. Advanced firmware safeguards and dynamic measurements ensure ongoing protection. The inclusion of a Microsoft Pluton security processor adhering to ‘Zero trust principles’ provides another layer of security.
Recall snapshots can only be viewed by the authenticated user, with Microsoft having no ability to access the images either. Users will be notified when snapshots are captured and can pause, filter or delete content at any time. Certain browser content and InPrivate sessions will not be included.
The first Copilot+ laptops launch globally on June 18th, with Recall initially exclusive before wider availability on other AI-capable Intel and AMD devices. Microsoft’s changes aim to balance innovation with privacy, safety and user control over new AI capabilities.
