Windows Recall
Last checked: 23 Oct 2026
Recall is a Windows 11 feature that saves pictures of your screen, called snapshots, so you can search for something you saw earlier. Microsoft says saving snapshots is off until you choose to turn it on. Here's how to check, and how to pause it, delete snapshots or remove it.
What Recall saves
If you turn it on, Microsoft says Recall saves a snapshot of your screen every few seconds and whenever the content of the window you're using changes. You can then search them by describing what you remember, or scroll back through a timeline. Microsoft says Recall doesn't record sound or save continuous video, and doesn't save content that's protected against copying.
Microsoft says snapshots are encrypted and kept on the PC, aren't shared with Microsoft or anyone else, and aren't visible to other people who sign in to the same PC. You confirm it's you with Windows Hello (Windows' sign-in by face, fingerprint or PIN) each time you open Recall. Microsoft also says some diagnostic data may be sent depending on your Windows privacy settings, that Recall sometimes fetches website icons from the internet for the sites in your snapshots, and that sending feedback from inside Recall sends data to Microsoft, including any screenshots you attach.
Microsoft still calls Recall a preview.
Which PCs have it
Only Copilot+ PCs: newer Windows 11 laptops and desktops with a chip built for AI tasks. Microsoft's minimum is 16 GB of memory, 256 GB of storage (with at least 50 GB free to turn Recall on), drive encryption switched on, and Windows Hello with a face or fingerprint sign-in set up. Microsoft's pages disagree on whether a PIN alone is enough to open Recall: one says a PIN works, others say you need a face or fingerprint sign-in. Recall works best in English, Chinese (simplified), French, German, Japanese and Spanish. If your PC isn't a Copilot+ PC, it doesn't have Recall.
Microsoft's Recall pages don't say which Windows 11 update is needed.
Is it on by default?
No, in Microsoft's words: "By default, saving snapshots for Recall aren't enabled. You need to opt in to saving snapshots." Windows asks the first time you open Recall. On a PC that several people use, each person decides for themselves.
The feature itself is installed on PCs that aren't managed by an employer or school, just not saving. On PCs managed by an employer or school, Microsoft says Recall is removed until IT allows it, and IT can't turn on saving snapshots for you.
Quick check: if saving is on, a Recall icon shows in the corner of the taskbar by the clock. Microsoft says the icon isn't there when Save snapshots is off.
Turn it off or pause it
- Turn saving snapshots off (or on)Stops new snapshots
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Save snapshots → OffStops Recall saving new snapshots until you turn it back on. To remove snapshots already saved, see Delete snapshots below.
Windows asks you to confirm with Windows Hello whenever you change a Recall setting. When saving is off, the Recall icon disappears from the taskbar corner.
- Pause until tomorrowStops until midnight
Recall icon in the taskbar corner (system tray) → Pause until tomorrowStops saving until midnight (12:00 AM), when it starts again by itself. While paused, the icon has a slash through it.
To start again sooner: the same icon → Resume snapshots.
Delete snapshots
- Delete all snapshots, or the last hour, day, week or monthDeletes snapshots
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Delete snapshots → Delete all (or choose a time and select Delete snapshots)Delete all removes every snapshot. The time options are the past hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days.
- Delete one snapshot, or everything from one app or websiteDeletes snapshots
Recall (Windows key + J) → Search or timeline → … next to the snapshot → Delete, or Delete allDelete removes that snapshot. Delete all removes every snapshot containing the same app or website, and Recall tells you how many first.
Microsoft suggests adding the app or website to the filter list afterwards (below).
- Reset RecallDeletes snapshots
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Advanced settings → Reset Recall → ResetDeletes all your snapshots and puts every Recall setting back to how it started. The next time you open Recall or turn on saving, you go through setup again.
It doesn't delete snapshots you've exported to a folder, or copies already shared with an app or website.
Leave out apps, websites and private browsing
- Leave out a website
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Websites to filter → Add websiteRecall doesn't save that site while it's the page you're looking at. Type the start of the address, such as https://www.example.com; Microsoft says that also covers other pages and sub-addresses of the same site.
Works in Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome. Other browsers built on Chrome's engine leave out private windows only, not chosen websites.
- Leave out an app
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Apps to filter → Add appRecall doesn't save that app. Only apps installed on the PC appear in the list.
- Sensitive information filtering
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Sensitive information filteringOn from the start. Recall doesn't save a snapshot when it spots things like passwords, national ID numbers or credit card numbers. Microsoft says your sensitive information stays on your device.
- Personalised Recall home page
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Advanced settings → Recall shows a customized experience using your snapshots → OffWith it off, the Recall home page shows only a search bar instead of suggestions based on your recent snapshots and apps.
Microsoft says private (incognito) windows aren't saved in Edge, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and other browsers built on Chrome's engine (version 124 or later).
A left-out website can still appear in a snapshot if it's shown inside another page, as the name of a background tab, or in your browser history. Leaving a site out of Recall doesn't change what the website, your browser or your internet provider can see.
Limit how much is kept
- How much space snapshots can use
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Storage → Maximum storage for snapshotsWhen the limit is reached, the oldest snapshots are deleted first. The choices depend on the size of your PC's drive: 256 GB drive: 25 GB (the starting setting) or 10 GB. 512 GB: 75 GB (starting setting), 50 GB or 25 GB. 1 TB or more: 150 GB (starting setting), 100, 75, 50 or 25 GB.
- How long snapshots are kept
Start → Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Maximum storage duration for snapshotsChoose 30, 60, 90 or 180 days, or unlimited. Older snapshots are then deleted. If you don't set it, snapshots are kept until the space limit above is reached.
Remove Recall completely
- Remove Recall from WindowsRemoves the feature
Search box on the taskbar → Turn Windows features on or off → Untick Recall → Restart the PCMicrosoft says any snapshots already saved are deleted when Recall is removed.
To put it back, open the same list, tick Recall and restart.
If you're in the European Economic Area
Microsoft says people in the European Economic Area (EEA) can export their snapshots to share with another app or website. It's off unless you choose it, and needs an export code shown once when you set Recall up. To stop a continuing export: Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots → Advanced settings → Export snapshots → Export, then turn Export snapshots from now on off. Resetting Recall gives you a new code. Microsoft doesn't describe any other difference by country.
On a work or school PC
Your IT team can remove Recall, stop snapshots being saved, and set storage limits and lists of apps and websites to leave out. Microsoft lists these as Group Policy settings under Windows Components → Windows AI, such as "Allow Recall to be enabled" and "Turn off saving snapshots for Recall". Some only work on the Enterprise and Education editions of Windows. See Microsoft's guide for IT admins. On a managed PC, Microsoft says some options may be greyed out so you can't change them.
Other Windows privacy settings
For the Windows advertising ID, personalised offers and Microsoft account ad settings, see Microsoft and Windows ad settings. For Copilot's chat settings, see AI chatbots.
Sources
- Microsoft: Retrace your steps with Recall
- Microsoft: Manage your Recall snapshots and disk space
- Microsoft: Filtering apps, websites, and sensitive information in Recall
- Microsoft: Privacy and control over your Recall experience
- Microsoft: Export Recall snapshots (EEA)
- Microsoft Learn: Manage Recall (for IT admins)
- Microsoft: Windows 11 specifications
This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing, or report a correction.