What is Microsoft Recall and How to Opt Out

Microsoft recently introduced a new feature called Recall for Windows PCs, designed to automatically take snapshots of your desktop activity throughout the day.

While Microsoft claims Recall helps users “find anything they’ve seen on their PC,” it also raises concerns about privacy, data storage, and potential misuse.

In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what Microsoft Recall is, why it’s controversial, how to opt out of it, and why using a tool like Redact and using our AIOptOut guides to clean up your digital history matters more than ever.

What is Microsoft Recall?

Recall is a new feature included with certain Windows 11 devices, particularly those running on Microsoft’s latest AI-enhanced Copilot+ PCs.

Here’s how it works:

Snapshots of your screen are taken automatically every few seconds.
These snapshots are stored locally on your device and can be searched using AI.
You can “recall” what you were doing at a particular time, even down to individual documents, emails, chats, and web pages.

There are multiple major concerns, some of which prompted a relaunch earlier in May, 2025. However, most of the concerns still apply – reflected in the delayed launch in the EU, a historically privacy-centric, litigious region.

Continuous Screenshot Logging – Recall Captures everything on screen, including sensitive information, without user prompts.
Unencrypted Local Storage – Data is stored unencrypted, making it easy for malware or attackers to extract.
Insufficient User Control – Users may not be fully aware Recall is active or how to manage it effectively.
Exploitable by Attackers – Malicious actors with system access can retrieve and search Recall data.
Regulatory Compliance Concerns – May conflict with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA due to indiscriminate data collection.
Weak Enterprise Controls – Lacks administrative tools for IT teams to manage, disable, or restrict Recall usage across devices.

Microsoft emphasizes that the snapshots stay on your device and are encrypted, but many experts and users still feel uneasy about the amount of data being collected automatically.

How to Opt Out of Microsoft Recall

To turn off Microsoft Recall, open the Windows Settings app from your Start menu. Navigate to Privacy & Security. Find the Recall & Snapshots option and switch it off. This will stop your PC from continuing to capture and save new snapshots of your activity.

If you are setting up a new device, you may also have the option to disable Recall during the initial setup process. If you missed that, manually disabling it in Settings is the fastest way to protect your data.

Why Simply Turning Off Recall Isn’t Enough

Even after disabling Recall, old data like chat logs, social media posts, emails, and uploads are still sitting on your devices and accounts. That means private conversations, sensitive documents, and even old mistakes could still be accessible if someone gains access to your accounts or hardware.

Privacy isn’t just about turning off one feature – it’s about managing your entire digital footprint. If you want to fully protect yourself, you need to go beyond Recall and take control of your entire online history.

How Redact Can Help You Protect Your Digital Past

Redact gives you the ability to find and permanently delete your old messages, posts, and content across major platforms like Discord, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and more. With Redact, you can search your history by keyword, date range, platform, or user, and wipe the information you no longer want connected to you.

If you’re concerned enough to turn off Microsoft Recall, you should be just as proactive about erasing the massive amount of old data you’ve built up over the years. Redact makes that easy, efficient, and secure and it lets you do it for free!

Protect your privacy completely.
Download Redact today at redact.dev and visit AIOptOut to opt out of any other services that use AI to scrub your systems for data.