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Windows 11 Recall helps you find things you previously saw on a compatible Copilot+ PC by searching periodic screen snapshots. It does not save continuous video or audio, and snapshots are not saved until you opt in. Microsoft says Recall processes and stores its data on the device, with safeguards including Windows Hello authentication and encryption. To limit what remains there, you can pause or turn off saving, filter apps and websites, delete snapshots, and set storage and retention limits. Those controls reduce exposure, but filters can miss sensitive material, and copies you export or share have to be managed separately.
What Windows 11 Recall does
Recall is a searchable history of selected moments on your screen. After you enable snapshot saving, it periodically captures what is displayed, analyzes the snapshots on the PC, and indexes information so you can search for something you remember seeing. You can search with natural-language descriptions or visual clues and browse a timeline to return to a past item.
For example, you might search for a document you read earlier without remembering its filename, or look for a page based on a subject or image you recall seeing. Recall is intended to help retrieve previously viewed content; it is not a general-purpose backup of your files, a web browser history, or a recording you can replay as a video.
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Microsoft says Recall does not record audio or save continuous video as snapshots. Its privacy documentation describes the normal operation as local: snapshots and associated data stay on the device rather than being sent to Microsoft or shared with other users of that Windows device. Microsoft also says data can leave the PC if you choose an action that shares it, such as copying a snapshot into another app or attaching one to feedback. Windows diagnostic data may be sent according to the device’s separate privacy settings.
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Is Recall on by default?
On an unmanaged Copilot+ PC, Recall may be available, but Microsoft says snapshot saving does not begin until the user opens Recall, authenticates, and chooses to enable it. Availability is not the same as active collection. On a work- or school-managed device, organization policies can govern whether Recall is available at all; Microsoft documents managed-device defaults that disable and remove it, while some commercial environments may require IT to deploy an optional component.
Recall requires a Copilot+ PC. Eligible hardware, Windows updates, regional availability, and Microsoft’s rollout can affect whether the feature appears. If it is missing, do not assume that a setting is merely hidden: your PC may not meet requirements, the feature may not yet be available in your location or update channel, or an administrator may have blocked it.
Does Microsoft see Recall snapshots?
Microsoft’s support documentation describes Recall as keeping snapshots and associated data on the device and not sharing them with Microsoft or third parties during normal operation. That is a description of the feature’s design, not a guarantee that information can never leave the PC. You can deliberately copy or share content, and a receiving app or service may store it under its own rules. Feedback that includes a snapshot is another user-initiated route for sharing.
Local storage also does not mean risk-free storage. A person who can use an unlocked session, malware with sufficient access, or someone who obtains access to the relevant account or device may present risks that the documented safeguards do not eliminate. Treat the local snapshot history as sensitive information: enable it only if its search benefit is worth keeping a history of screen content on that device.
What privacy protections does Recall use?
Microsoft documents several safeguards for Recall snapshots and related indexed information. Windows Hello authentication is used to control access, and Microsoft describes just-in-time decryption rather than keeping the protected data continuously decrypted. Keys are protected through the device’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and tied to the user’s Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) identity; key operations take place within a Virtualization-based Security (VBS) Enclave. Microsoft also cites Device Encryption or BitLocker as part of the protection story.
These are meaningful layers, but they should not be read as an absolute promise that Recall data cannot be exposed. They do not make an unlocked computer harmless to leave unattended, guarantee protection from every compromised account or sufficiently privileged malicious program, or prevent a user from sharing a snapshot. Keep Windows and device security current, use Windows Hello, lock the screen when stepping away, and avoid enabling snapshots on a device whose access is not adequately controlled.
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Sensitive-information filtering is not perfect
Recall’s sensitive-information filter is on by default. Microsoft says it uses on-device processing and the Microsoft Classification Engine to help avoid saving detected information such as passwords, national identification numbers, and payment-card numbers. It is a safeguard intended to reduce capture, not a guarantee that all sensitive content will be identified correctly.
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How to turn off or pause Recall
Turn off future snapshot saving
- Open Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots.
- Turn off the control for saving snapshots. The exact interface and wording can vary with the current Windows version.
- Return to Recall and check that saving is off before displaying information you do not want captured.
Turning off saving stops future snapshots; it is not the same as deleting snapshots already stored. Use the deletion controls separately if you want to remove the existing local history.
Pause saving temporarily
If you want Recall available at other times but do not want snapshots captured during a particular task, use Recall’s pause-saving control. Resume only when you are comfortable with snapshots being saved again. Because labels and placement can change between Windows versions, confirm the pause status in the current Recall interface rather than assuming a pause is still active later.
Check the device’s management status
If the setting is unavailable, disabled, or changes back, the device may be managed by an employer or school. Ask IT which Recall policies apply before attempting to change the configuration. An administrator can control availability, and users may not have permission to enable the feature or alter its settings.
How to limit what Recall captures
Filter apps and websites
You can add apps and websites to Recall’s filter lists so snapshots are not saved while those sources are active. Use this for places where screen history is especially undesirable, such as a password manager, financial service, private messaging app, or confidential work system. Review the filter badge shown when a filtered app, website, or private browsing window is active; it can help confirm whether a filter is being applied.
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Filters have limits. Microsoft notes that embedded website content and information about background tabs or browser history may still appear. Browser support and private-browsing behavior depend on supported browser versions. Filtering a site in Recall also does not prevent the site itself, your internet provider, or an employer monitoring its network or managed device from knowing that the site was accessed. Recall filtering controls what its snapshot feature saves; it is not a general browsing-privacy tool.
Remote desktop sessions need special care
Microsoft says known remote desktop clients are filtered, while other clients may need to implement screen-capture protection or be manually added to the filter list. If you use remote access to view sensitive information, do not assume every client or remote session is automatically excluded. Check the filter status and, when necessary, pause saving or turn it off for the session.
Keep the sensitive-information filter enabled
The sensitive-information filter is enabled by default and is designed to reduce the chance that certain detected secrets are saved. Leave it on unless you have a clear reason to change it. It works alongside app and website filters, but none of these controls should be treated as proof that a particular screen was not captured.
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Delete snapshots you no longer want
Recall provides controls to delete snapshots by time period, app, website, or individually. Use the narrowest option that achieves your goal when you want to remove a particular item; choose a broader time-based deletion when you want to clear a wider span of local history. Check the current Recall interface for the available categories and confirm the selected range before deleting.
Set storage and retention limits
In the Recall settings area, you can set a maximum storage size and a retention period. A smaller storage cap or shorter retention period reduces how much local screen history is kept, at the cost of having less older material available to search. Choose limits based on the longest period for which you realistically need retrieval, not on the maximum the device permits.
Saving off, deleting existing snapshots, and setting future limits solve different problems. Use the saving control to stop new snapshots, deletion to remove snapshots already present, and the storage and retention settings to constrain what accumulates afterward.
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Reset Recall when you need a broader reset
Recall also offers a reset option. Resetting can clear Recall data and settings on the device, but it does not delete exported files or copies that you already shared with other apps or websites. If your objective is to eliminate every copy of a snapshot, you must consider those destinations separately; Recall cannot revoke a copy another service has retained.
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Can you export Recall snapshots?
Microsoft’s export documentation describes ways to export past snapshots for the previous 7 days, the previous 30 days, or all snapshots, as well as ongoing export. Export availability can differ by market or product rollout, so check the current Recall settings on your PC rather than assuming every option is offered in every region.
Export requires user authorization and uses a code displayed once. Protect that code as you would an access credential: do not leave it visible, send it to someone else, or store it where an unintended person can retrieve it. If the code is lost or you believe it has been compromised, Microsoft documents resetting Recall. A reset does not erase files already exported or copies held by apps or websites to which you shared them, so protect and delete those separately as appropriate.
Exporting changes the privacy boundary. While Recall’s documented normal operation keeps its data local, an exported file is another copy that can be moved, backed up, or accessed according to the protections of its destination. Export only when you have a clear reason and know where the file will be kept.
Choose a privacy setting that fits how you use Recall
| Choice | What it means | Useful when |
|---|---|---|
| Saving off | No new Recall snapshots are saved; existing snapshots need separate deletion. | You do not want a screen history on the PC, or you regularly handle information you do not want captured. |
| Saving paused temporarily | Snapshot saving is interrupted until you resume it. | You need a short break from capture while working with a sensitive screen. |
| Saving on with app or site filters | Snapshots are saved generally, with selected sources excluded; filtering can have indirect-content and compatibility limits. | You want Recall’s search utility but know particular apps or sites should be excluded. |
| Saving on with shorter retention or a smaller cap | Less local history is retained or available over time. | You want some retrieval history while limiting how long or how much accumulates. |
| Exporting snapshots | A separate copy is created and must be protected outside Recall. | You have a specific need to keep or move snapshots and can secure the destination. |
These controls are not interchangeable. A filter targets selected sources; a retention limit narrows the stored history; pause and off stop new capture temporarily or until re-enabled; deletion removes existing local items; export creates a separate copy. The best balance depends on whether you value search convenience more than keeping less screen history, and Microsoft does not publish a quantified privacy-risk reduction for each setting.
What to do if a Recall setting is missing or not working
- Recall does not appear: Confirm that the PC is a Copilot+ PC, install available Windows updates, and consider whether regional rollout affects availability. On a managed device, ask IT whether policy disables the feature.
- Snapshots are not appearing: On an unmanaged device, saving requires user opt-in and authentication. Check that saving is enabled and that a filter is not excluding the app or site you expect to see.
- A filter does not seem to exclude everything: Embedded page content, background-tab information, browser support, and remote-desktop client behavior can affect what is captured. Verify the filter badge; pause saving if you need stronger assurance for a sensitive task.
- You want to remove history but keep using Recall: Delete the relevant snapshots, then review retention and storage limits so future history is constrained.
- You reset Recall but still see an exported copy: Reset does not remove exports or copies shared with third-party apps and websites. Locate and manage each copy at its destination.
Microsoft documentation and date of this guide
The descriptions of Recall’s operation, privacy controls, filtering, export, and device management here reflect Microsoft’s live support and privacy documentation as accessed on October 13, 2026. Microsoft documentation and product availability can change; labels and options on a particular PC may differ by Windows update, region, hardware eligibility, or administrator policy.
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