Microsoft is taking a new approach with Recall.

Microsoft has not yet abandoned the controversial recall feature. It plans to roll out an updated version to the Windows Insider testing channel in October.

Remember Recall? When Microsoft announced this feature, exclusive to Copilot+, during Build in May, it was met with a storm of criticism. Recall takes screenshots of everything you do on your PC and organizes them across a timeline. Thanks to AI integration, you can use the search bar to specifically search for specific screenshots.

Critics have called the feature a security and privacy nightmare. Microsoft may have promised that screenshots taken with Recall wouldn’t be uploaded to the cloud, but there’s almost no local security in place. If you share a device with other users or if your device falls into the wrong hands, they’ll have free access to your screenshots.

Microsoft eventually had to bow to criticism and drop Recall. But the feature is far from dead and buried. Microsoft announced in a blog post that it will release a new version of Recall to the Windows Insider testing channel in October.

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Microsoft says it has made the necessary revisions to address initial criticism of Recall. Screenshots are encrypted and users will need to authenticate themselves using Windows Hello to gain access. Recall will also need to be enabled manually via Settings.

Will Microsoft be able to get the Recall in this time? The fate of the feature is in the hands of Windows Insiders. They will be able to start working with it starting in October. The Recall program remains exclusive to devices that meet the system requirements to call themselves “Copilot+ PC.” While we think this term is empty marketing, we still love the first devices.

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