Windows Recall is launching in October – but only for Insiders

Microsoft’s much-maligned Windows Recall tool will be made available in October, though only for members of the Windows Insider Program (WIP) according to an updated blog post from the tech giant.

Recall will be rolled out exclusively to these users as part of an “adjusted” release approach that the firm believes will “leverage the valuable expertise of our Windows Insider community.”

This builds on the firm’s previous blog update where it unveiled plans for an initial WIP release without a specified date, stating only that the slated Recall preview release date of June 18 had been scrapped.

In both updates, Microsoft reiterated that it was still planning to make Recall available for “all” Copilot+ PCs eventually. 

According to the firm, the trial run in the WIP community is designed to make sure the experience meets Microsoft's “high standards” of product quality and security. 

“This decision is rooted in our commitment to providing a trusted, secure and robust experience for all customers and to seek additional feedback prior to making the feature available to all Copilot+ PC users,” the firm said. 

When Recall becomes available for limited users, Microsoft said it will publish a blog post that includes details on how to get access for those who are members of the community. Trying Recall will require that users own a Copilot+ PC, it added.  

Windows Recall was a PR disaster 

Both of these updates were made to a blog post originally published in June in which Microsoft was forced to announce changes to the tool amid a torrent of industry criticism. 

Many felt that the Recall feature - which functions by regularly screenshotting device screens and letting users backtrack through tasks more easily - was a serious privacy and security risk.

Kevin Beaumont, director of emerging threats at the Arcadia Group, called the tool a “security nightmare” at the time, while the UK’s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) reported that it may even consider a probe.

Microsoft responded by announcing that it would give users a more clear “opt-in” choice along with more rigorous security measures guarding access to the tool and certain functions. 

It also committed to adding extra layers of data protection. This included “just in time” decryption which ensures that images captured by Recall will only be decrypted and accessible upon user authentication.

The firm restated the presence of these enhanced security features as part of its latest updates, reassuring users that the development of Copilot+ PCs, Recall, and Windows will “continue to be guided by SFI,” the firm’s Secure Future Initiative.