Following strong backlash, Microsoft has recalled a controversial recall feature in Windows 11 that was supposed to debut along with the new Copilot+ PC in June. The recall was supposed to return in October, but now Microsoft says the recall is not ready and the company needs more time to perfect the feature.

“We are committed to providing a secure and reliable experience with Recall,” Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc told Tom's Guide in a statement.

“To ensure we deliver these important updates, we are taking additional time to refine the experience before previewing it with Windows Insiders. Originally scheduled for October, Recall will be available for preview in Windows Insiders on Copilot+ PCs by December.”

If you've forgotten about this feature, Windows Recall helps you find everything you've done on your PC by taking “snapshots” of your computer at regular intervals. These screenshots are stored on your computer and analyzed by the AI to make searching your laptop easier and faster.

This feature, introduced on new AI laptops powered by the Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus, received almost immediate backlash after Microsoft Build 2024 due to strong security concerns. At the time, Microsoft pulled the feature from Copilot and announced an indefinite delay.

At one point, the recall was to be reinstated a few weeks after the initial recall, when Microsoft added a feature that was surprisingly missing:

Later, these features were added to the AI tool. in August, Microsoft announced to Windows Insiders ( Windows fans who act as Microsoft beta testers) would have access to an updated version of Recall in October.

Now we are at the end of October and Microsoft has not made a peep about this feature until today.

Much of the blame for the delay is related to Microsoft's attempts to fix security concerns about the feature. Since the initial announcement, the company has made Recall opt-in and allowed Recall to be uninstalled.

Microsoft pointed Tom's Guide to a late September blog post outlining some of the work Microsoft is doing on Recall's security architecture. That post reiterated that Recall is opt-in and that “Recall does not share snapshots or related data with Microsoft or third parties.”

Some confusion arose this week when various YouTubers claimed that Recall was “secretly” installed on Windows 11 along with the disastrous 24H2 update. Microsoft told The Verge that Recall was not available to anyone at that time.

Microsoft's removal of Recall from Windows 11 this summer may have left a bug in the system, but the 24H2 update seems to be working well on crashed systems and motherboards.

Assuming the software giant can address the security issues surrounding Recall, we may see the feature in beta form in December.