WINDOWS 11 AI

Windows Recall: 7 Things to Know Before You Use It

It saves snapshots of your screen so you can search your past. Here is what that means for you.

AllInfo AI

WHAT IT DOES

A search for your past

Recall snapshots your screen every few seconds. Type "blue sales chart" and jump right back to it.

WHO CAN USE IT

Only newer AI PCs

You need a 40 TOPS NPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage and Windows Hello face or fingerprint sign in.

OFF BY DEFAULT

You choose to turn it on

Go to Settings, Privacy & security, Recall & snapshots, then switch on Save snapshots.

PRIVACY

Stored on your PC

Snapshots stay encrypted on your own device, behind Windows Hello. Microsoft says it cannot see them.

FILTERS

Hide apps and websites

Block your bank, password manager or chats. Recall also skips private browser windows.

DISK SPACE

Up to 150 GB by default

Recall uses 25 GB on 256 GB drives, 75 GB on 512 GB and 150 GB on 1 TB. You can lower it.

SHOULD YOU USE IT?

Your call

Great if you juggle many tabs and files. Skip it on shared PCs. Every step is in our full guide.