The Copilot+ PCs‘ new ‘time machine’ will take over a chunk of your hard drive, plus it has no qualms of screenshotting your passwords.
Out of all the big blowout declarations from Microsoft Build, from the launch of all new “Copilot+” PCs with Snapdragon X Elite chips to new software, perhaps the most standout offering is Recall. It’s an always-on screenshotting time machine that is supposed to let users search through every last minute of their existence on PC, from browsing to watching videos to using apps.
For some users, the idea of their PC continuously recording them seems like a nightmare. As with any software tracking you, Microsoft has been trying to address a host of privacy details that may come up with Recall. However, a few minor details could spoil the promise of a PC that truly remembers everything you do on it.
Microsoft has repeatedly claimed that the program won’t send any information to outside parties and that all your data is encrypted on-device and tied to your user profile. Gizmodo reached out to Microsoft for clarification on whether any part of the AI process is handled through the cloud, though we have yet to hear back.
Recall is supposed to work thanks to the NPU that powers the Snapdragon X-series chip. It remains unclear if any part of the background snapshotting or reviewing your history will have any impact on the PC’s CPU or GPU.
This isn’t Microsoft’s first time trying an always-on time machine for PCs. The company had tried features like System Restore that let users revert their computer to a previous point in time, but it was more to help recover from some crash or bug rather than provide a “time machine” on Windows.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said this is something Microsoft has always wanted to have on PCs. Yet, we’re still in the “very early stages of understanding how our relationship with AI agents should be shaped by us.”
Even though we’ve seen it in action under Microsoft’s controlled showcase, there are still a few variables to consider. While Microsoft promises you’ll be able to delete anything the feature captures, you might need to do some work upfront to ensure it won’t automatically start snapping up your private photos or specific sites you may visit that you haven’t already specified.
