Windows 11 users in the European Economic Area will shortly receive a new Recall Export feature, allowing Recall snapshots to be shared with third-party apps and websites.
Since Recall snapshots are encrypted, users are presented with an export code the first time Recall is opened or snapshots are turned on in Settings. The code, which Microsoft says will never be shown again (so store it somewhere safe), can then be shared with the app or website the user has chosen to decrypt the data.
Losing the code (or if a malicious actor gets hold of it) will require resetting Recall – generating a new code will delete all previously saved snapshots. Microsoft said it “does not have access to your export code and cannot help you recover it if it is lost.”
Exports can include the last seven or 30 days of snapshots, or everything captured to date. Alternatively, a user can opt to export snapshots to the selected folder on an ongoing basis. Both options require authorization via Windows Hello.
The feature is currently rolling out to Windows Insiders, but since it can be found in the Beta channel, it will likely appear on end user machines before long. That said, this is a preview, and Microsoft warned: “Windows Insiders on managed PCs in the EEA (signed in with Entra ID) and trying Recall out in their organization may see a broken experience with exporting their Recall snapshots.”
Recall is a controversial Windows 11 feature that captures snapshots of a user’s activity on the desktop every few seconds and stores the results so that the user can quickly search through whatever they were doing. It first turned up at 2024’s Build event. Microsoft subsequently pulled it after the feature was found to be a poorly implemented privacy nightmare, preview or no preview.
The Register has asked Microsoft why the feature is included in the Dev and Beta channel for Windows 11. It has yet to respond. Our gut feeling is it is related to a data compliance requirements in Europe.
A beefed-up version of the feature crept back later in 2024.
Other Recall changes rolling out to Windows Insiders on Copilot+ PCs include resetting Recall and all its data and changing the default value for maximum storage duration for Recall snapshots on new Copilot+ PCs. It used to be unlimited, but is now 90 days.
Finally, Microsoft said: “We’re excited to announce that we’re starting to roll out a highly requested feature from Windows 10.”
Could it be the return of the old Start Menu? The ability to work with hardware not on the current compatibility list?
Sadly not. The clock can now be bigger and include seconds above the date and time in the notification center. ®