The Copilot Plus PC from Microsoft includes AI-powered Windows search and Recall
Microsoft has officially launched its Recall feature for all Copilot Plus PCs, along with a refreshed AI-powered Windows search and the new Click to Do tool, which closely mirrors Google’s Circle to Search. Originally scheduled to launch alongside these PCs in June of last year, Recall silently takes images of actions on Copilot Plus devices. The launch from Microsoft is delayed due to security concerns. A public test was then planned for October, later pushed to November, to strengthen Recall’s security. After ten months of adjustments, Recall is now fully opt-in, meaning users can choose whether to enable it based on their privacy preferences.
Navjot Virk, corporate vice president of Windows Experiences at Microsoft, explained that Recall was developed to ease the common struggle of resuming tasks on a PC. Instead of remembering file names, users can search through categorized snapshots to retrieve vague memories more intuitively. Early hands-on impressions of Recall showed it to be an impressive yet unsettling innovation. It improves Windows search significantly, interpreting images and content naturally, but it also raises privacy concerns due to the sensitive data it records. Managing blocked apps and websites remains essential for anyone using the feature.
security researcher Kevin Beaumont who was among the first to criticize Recall, Having evaluated the latest version, recognized Microsoft’s significant features. The Recall database is now encrypted, it filters sensitive data automatically, and it’s no longer mandatory to use. Yet, Beaumont noted some glitches with sensitive app and site filtering. He also mentioned that Recall can be accessed through a simple four-digit PIN with Windows Hello, although Microsoft claims at least one biometric sign-in like facial recognition or a fingerprint is required to use the feature.
Alongside Recall, Microsoft is enhancing Windows search on Copilot Plus PCs by allowing natural language queries through File Explorer, the search box, and settings. This means users can describe a file, such as “a brown dog photo,” without needing exact filenames or dates. Click to Do is also launching today, offering quick actions like summarizing text or editing images with a simple Windows key and left-click. Though AMD and Intel systems should have access to text actions in the upcoming months, they are now only available on Qualcomm-based devices. Microsoft also confirmed that Recall and Click to Do will reach EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway later this year.
