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Windows does not have one master switch for AI privacy. Recall, Click to Do, Windows Search’s semantic indexing, and Copilot have separate controls—and some features are limited to Copilot+ PCs. Choose the control that matches the feature and the account you use.
Start with the control for the feature you use
These settings cover different kinds of content. The paths below apply to Windows 11; a setting may be unavailable if your PC, Windows version, account, or organization does not support the feature.
| Feature | Content involved | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Recall | Snapshots of screen activity | Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots |
| Click to Do | Selected text or images on screen | Settings > Privacy & security > Click to Do |
| Semantic Windows Search indexing | Supported files in indexed locations | Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows > Advanced indexing options |
| Copilot | Content provided to the Copilot service | Use the privacy controls for the Copilot app and account you are using |
Recall: control screen snapshots
Turn saving off, pause it, or remove existing snapshots
Recall is a preview experience for eligible Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft says snapshot saving is off by default for a new user until they opt in. In Recall & snapshots settings, you can turn saving on or off, delete saved snapshots, and set the maximum storage size and retention duration. When the storage limit is reached, Recall automatically deletes the oldest snapshots. The Recall system-tray control can pause saving temporarily. Windows Hello confirmation is required to change Recall settings or launch Recall.
Filter apps and supported websites
You can exclude apps and supported websites from snapshots. Microsoft says sensitive-information filtering is enabled by default and is intended to filter snapshots when potentially sensitive information—such as passwords or credit-card information—is detected. Treat it as a filter, not a guarantee that every sensitive item will be identified.
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Website filtering depends on the browser. Microsoft lists Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Chrome as supporting filtering for specified websites and private browsing. Other Chromium-based browsers version 124 or later are described as filtering private browsing, but not specified sites. A website filter affects whether foreground-tab content may appear in Recall; it does not prevent the browser, site, internet provider, or an organization from knowing that the site was accessed.
What Recall stores—and what the local-storage claim does not cover
Microsoft says Recall does not record audio or continuous video. Snapshot content is processed and stored on the device, encrypted, and not shared with Microsoft or third parties. That statement is about Recall snapshots and their associated data: Windows diagnostic data may still be provided according to your Windows privacy settings. Submitting feedback can also send Recall data, including screenshots attached to feedback.
Microsoft’s listed Recall requirements include a Copilot+ PC meeting the Secured-core standard, an NPU rated at 40 TOPS, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, at least 50 GB of free space to enable Recall, device encryption through Device Encryption or BitLocker, and Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security with a biometric sign-in option. Saving pauses automatically when free storage falls below 25 GB. These are feature requirements, not a general recommendation to buy a new PC for privacy.
In managed commercial and education environments, Microsoft says Recall is removed by default until administrators allow it. If its controls are missing, check device eligibility, Windows version, account type, and organizational policy.
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Click to Do: control actions on screen content
Click to Do is a separate Copilot+ PC feature and is enabled by default. Its switch can disable the feature, but Microsoft says it cannot be removed. With Click to Do off, its common keyboard and touch shortcuts no longer open it; other entry points may remain visible and show an error.
Choosing an Ask Copilot action is a user-initiated handoff: the selected text or images are placed in Copilot’s prompt so the service can carry out the requested action. In managed work or school settings, the action may instead be labeled Ask Microsoft Copilot and requires a Microsoft 365 license under the organization’s privacy policies. In Recall, Click to Do can act on a selected snapshot; choosing an action that sends content to an app such as Notepad or Paint temporarily saves that content. Turning Recall off does not control Click to Do, and vice versa.
Windows Search: limit semantic indexing
On Copilot+ PCs, semantic indexing works alongside traditional Windows Search indexing. Microsoft lists supported document types as TXT, PDF, DOCX, DOC, RTF, PPTX, PPT, XLS, and XLSX. Supported image types include JPG/JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, and ICO.
Use the Advanced indexing options path in the table to manage indexed locations and file types. Microsoft says data gathered through semantic indexing is stored locally, is not stored by Microsoft, and is not used to train AI models. This assurance concerns semantic indexing; it does not establish how unrelated cloud files, apps, or services handle their data.
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Other Windows AI features do not share one privacy switch
AI in Settings
Microsoft describes improved natural-language Settings search and an agent in Settings as Copilot+ PC features. The agent can suggest fixes and, with your permission and at your initiation, make settings changes. The Microsoft material reviewed does not establish a separate general privacy switch for these capabilities. If the PC is managed, your organization may also set relevant controls.
On-device AI components
Microsoft says Copilot+ PC AI components use the device’s NPU and other local hardware. It specifically says the Image Creation AI component can create images locally without sending prompts or image data to the cloud. That claim applies to the named component on compatible hardware; it does not mean every Windows AI feature or third-party app operates locally.
Manage Copilot privacy for the account you actually use
Windows feature settings do not replace Copilot account controls. Microsoft’s current privacy-controls guidance for Copilot for individuals applies to personal Microsoft accounts using the updated Copilot app on the web, desktop, or mobile. It excludes work, school, and organizational accounts, and older guidance applies only to the previous app version. Identify both the app version and account type before changing Copilot privacy settings. For work or school use, follow the organization’s Microsoft 365 Copilot or enterprise data-protection guidance.
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