Recall takes snapshots of your screen so you can search back through what you were doing. That description alone splits people. Some want it immediately. Others want it gone.
Both reactions are reasonable. Which one applies to you depends on facts rather than headlines. I want to give you those facts in Microsoft's own words, then the switches.
Let me start with the one that rules most readers out entirely.
Most PCs cannot run it at all
Worth knowing first. Otherwise you go hunting through Settings for something that is not there.
Documented by Microsoft on its Recall privacy page: Recall is "exclusive to Copilot+ PCs."
⛔ That is a hardware category, not a Windows version. A Copilot+ PC has a neural processing unit fast enough for the on-device model. An ordinary Windows 11 laptop does not.
⭐ So if Recall is nowhere in your Settings, nothing is wrong. Your machine is not eligible and no update makes it so.
⚡ Check by searching Start for Recall. If nothing comes back, you can stop reading and get on with your day.
It is opt in, which is the fact most coverage got wrong
The point worth being precise about, because the early reporting was not.
Microsoft's wording: "For each new user on the device, the user can opt in to saving snapshots using Recall."
⭐ Per user, and opt in. Nothing is being saved until somebody on that account says yes.
⚠️ Which does not mean you should ignore it on a shared machine. Another account on the same PC can opt in for themselves, and their snapshots are theirs.
Where the snapshots go
The question everybody actually has. Microsoft answers it in two short sentences.
In Microsoft's words: "Snapshots and associated data are stored locally on the device."
And the one that settles the argument: "Microsoft can't access or view the snapshots."
⭐ Nothing is uploaded. The processing and the storage both happen on your machine. That is why the feature needs the hardware in the first place.
⚠️ Local does not mean invisible to everyone. Anybody who can sign in as you can open Recall, which is why the next section exists.
⚡ So a PC that locks itself when you walk away is worth more once this is on. The snapshots are only as private as the sign-in in front of them.
It will not open without your face or fingerprint
A real protection. And a requirement rather than an option.
Microsoft states it plainly: "You must have at least one biometric sign-in option enabled for Windows Hello, either facial recognition or a fingerprint, to launch and use Recall."
⛔ A PIN alone is not enough to open Recall. That is a deliberate design choice and a meaningful one.
⚡ If you have not set that up, Windows Hello takes about two minutes. The same page covers what to do when the options are grayed out.
What it deliberately does not save
Two filters, both on by default, and both worth knowing about.
Microsoft on private browsing: "Your private browsing activity will not be saved as snapshots" in supported browsers.
And on the second filter: "Sensitive information filtering is on by default and helps reduce passwords, national ID numbers, and credit card numbers from being stored in Recall."
⚠️ Read the verb in that second one. It says helps reduce, not prevents. Microsoft is being honest about a filter that is good rather than perfect. I will not overstate it either.
⭐ Ours, and marked as ours: treat sensitive filtering as a safety net. Not a guarantee. If something must never be captured, use a private browsing window, or turn snapshots off while you do it.
How to stop it saving, without removing it
The middle option, and the one most people want.
Go to Settings, Privacy & security, Recall & snapshots, and turn Save snapshots off.
Microsoft confirms this is reversible at any time: "You can turn on or off saving snapshots at any time."
⭐ This leaves the feature installed and stops it collecting. Nothing new is captured from the moment you switch it off.
⚡ It does not touch Copilot. They are separate things, and turning Recall off leaves Copilot exactly as it was.
How to delete what is already there
Separate action from stopping it, and worth doing both.
Microsoft's route: "You can delete your snapshots at any time by going to Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots."
⭐ Turning saving off does not delete what was already captured. Those are two buttons, and people press one and assume the other happened.
⚠️ Do them in that order. Stop the saving first, then delete, or you are deleting while it is still collecting.
How to remove Recall entirely
The strongest option, and Microsoft documents it rather than hiding it.
In Microsoft's words: "You can also remove Recall by using Turn Windows features on or off in Windows."
Press Start, search for Turn Windows features on or off, clear the Recall checkbox, and restart.
⭐ Removing it deletes the existing snapshots too. So this is the one action that covers both halves at once.
⚡ It is a Windows optional feature. So it can be added back the same way if you change your mind.
Deciding whether you want it
My honest read, marked as mine, because you came here for a decision as much as a switch.
⭐ Ours: do you routinely lose track of a document, a page or a message you saw last week? Recall solves a real problem. The protections around it are more serious than the headlines suggested.
⭐ Ours: handle other people's data, share the machine, or simply not want a searchable record of your screen? Turn it off. That is a legitimate position, and Microsoft made it a one-switch decision.
⚠️ On a work machine, it may not be yours to decide. An organization can set this centrally, and a grayed-out toggle there means policy rather than a fault.
⛔ What I would not do is leave it on without knowing. This should be a choice you made. Not one you inherited.
Status: read start to finish 23 August 2026 against Microsoft's current Recall privacy page. Microsoft documents Recall as exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, opt in per user, stored locally with no Microsoft access, requiring a biometric Windows Hello sign-in to open, filtering private browsing and reducing sensitive information, and removable through Turn Windows features on or off.
Is Windows Recall on by default?
No. Microsoft states that each new user on the device can opt in to saving snapshots. Nothing is captured until somebody says yes on that account. It is also exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, so most machines cannot run it.
Does Microsoft see my Recall snapshots?
No. Microsoft states that snapshots and associated data are stored locally on the device, and that Microsoft cannot access or view them. The processing happens on the PC. That is why the feature needs specific hardware.
How do I turn off Recall?
Go to Settings, Privacy and security, Recall and snapshots on your PC, and turn Save snapshots off. To delete what was already captured, use the delete option on the same page. To remove the feature completely, clear the Recall checkbox in Turn Windows features on or off.
Does Recall capture passwords?
Microsoft says sensitive information filtering is on by default. It helps reduce passwords, national ID numbers and credit card numbers from being stored. Helps reduce, not prevents. Treat it as a safety net.
The Short Version
- Recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs. Most machines cannot run it and nothing is wrong with yours.
- It is opt in, per user. Nothing is saved until somebody on that account agrees.
- Snapshots stay on the device, and Microsoft states it cannot access or view them.
- It will not open without a fingerprint or face. A PIN alone is not enough.
- Private browsing is not captured, and sensitive filtering is on by default.
- Microsoft says that filtering helps reduce rather than prevents. That wording matters.
- Stopping saving and deleting snapshots are two separate buttons on the same page.
- Removing the feature through Turn Windows features on or off deletes the snapshots too.
Where to Next
Search Start for Recall. If nothing comes back, your PC cannot run it and you are finished here.
If it is there, open Settings, Privacy and security, Recall and snapshots. Look at what the switch is set to. Whichever way you leave it, make it a decision rather than a default.
If you decide to keep it, set up a fingerprint or face sign-in. Recall will not open without one.
And if your machine has Recall grayed out on a personal account, drop the model below. I cannot find that combination documented anywhere.
Isaac Smith is the founder and editor of PC Glance, a website that covers computers, laptops, and technology. He is a tech enthusiast and a computer geek who loves to share his insights and help his readers make smart choices when buying tech gadgets or laptops. He is always curious and updated about the latest tech trends.