Microsoft confirms fix for Windows Recall's biggest problem is 'try turning it on and off'

Microsoft deservedly received criticism over its unveiling of Windows Recall, the company's latest AI feature that enables users to "recall" what they were doing on the PC by asking via natural language or scrolling back through a provided timeline.

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When Recall was first unveiled, it was met with heavy criticism from security experts as the new AI tool works by indiscriminately taking screenshots of a user's desktop and then storing those images locally within a folder. This means Recall would also capture user passwords and other sensitive information, and since all of that data is stored in a single folder, a hacker or bad actor gaining access to that folder would compromise all account information, potentially leading to fraud, theft, and other cybercrime.

Microsoft responded to these concerns by pulling Recall right before the rollout of its new Copilot+ PCs and then announcing additional security layers for users. After what was meant to be only weeks of delay, Microsoft re-released Recall this month, but this time to Windows Insiders who have Copilot+ PC hardware. Since the release, Windows Insiders have been reporting problems with the new feature, with the main problem being a delay in the time Recall takes snapshots of the desktop, which results in there being gaps in the feature's memory or timeline over the course of a session.

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CNBC only recently reported the same problem, writing, "It can go several minutes between making snapshots, leaving gaps in the timeline." Microsoft has since responded to this reported issue, telling users who notice this problem that they should restart their PC.

As for security, which was most people's main concern with the feature, according to The Register, the new preview of Windows Recall is more secure than its previous version. Other issues mentioned by reports are the time it takes for Recall to show a search result and the "Click to Do" feature, which allows a user to engage with selected images or text from snapshots, having limited target options.

Notably, Windows Recall is still within the Windows Insider Program, which means its preview and not yet ready for general release. While Recall is in a much better spot than it was when Microsoft officially unveiled it, this laundry list of problems is an indicator Redmond still has some work to do on its new flagship AI feature, especially considering it was part of the company's marketing campaign for its new Copilot+ PCs.