How Windows Recall Works-and Whether You Should Switch It On

"First, Recall is going to be off by default. It will not suddenly start tracking you without your knowledge. You need to deliberately turn it on if you want to use it. Second, all of the screenshots and other information Recall captures are stored locally on your PC. Nothing that Windows Recall does is sent to Microsoft's servers or anywhere else on the web. Files are also encrypted, making them much harder for bad actors to access."

"Third, Windows Hello authentication is required to get at Windows Recall. If someone gains access to your PC, they can't open Recall without going through a face or fingerprint scan process, or entering your PIN, so it's a level of protection similar to what's on your phone. Fourth, you have the option to not save screenshots when sensitive information (such as passwords or credit card numbers) are on screen. You're also able to delete screenshots at any time."

"Ultimately, it's a question of how much you trust Microsoft and the security around your PC. Technically, someone at Google could be snooping on your Chrome history and Gmail messages if you sync that information between devices-but Google promises that won't happen, and millions of users accept that promise in return for using all of Google's apps and tools for free. Now there's a similar decision to be made with Windows Recall."

Recall is disabled by default and requires deliberate activation to begin capturing activity. All screenshots and related data are stored locally on the PC and encrypted to reduce unauthorized access. Nothing captured by Recall is transmitted to Microsoft's servers or the web. Access to Recall is protected by Windows Hello face or fingerprint authentication or a PIN. Users can opt to prevent screenshots when sensitive information appears and can delete captured screenshots at any time. Recall aims to let users retrace steps and reopen past files or tasks, but adoption depends on individual trust in Microsoft's handling of on-device data.

Read at WIRED