Microsoft AI Recall Feature Reportedly Cannot Be Uninstalled From Windows 11

Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) feature Recall, which is yet to be available to the public, reportedly cannot be uninstalled from Windows 11. Recently, it was said to be available to Windows Insiders in the 24H2 version of Windows 11 in preview. Interestingly, that version allowed users to uninstall the feature. However, as per a report, the tech giant has claimed that it was a bug and once fixed, users will not be able to uninstall Recall from the operating system.

Windows Recall Uninstall

Deskmodder spotted the feature in the 24H2 version of Windows 11. However, the publication found that Recall could be uninstalled in it. Notably, this is still the beta version of the feature, currently not available to public users. However, The Verge spoke with the company which clarified that it was a bug and Recall would not be uninstallable in future versions.

“We are aware of an issue where Recall is incorrectly listed as an option under the ‘Turn Windows features on or off’ dialog in Control Panel. This will be fixed in an upcoming update,” the publication quoted Brandon LeBlanc, Windows Senior Product Manager as saying.

Recall, first announced in June by the company, is one of the major AI features for AI PCs. However, ever since its announcement, the feature has raised criticism from netizens. The feature captures periodic screenshots of the PC screen, and by using AI, it can answer user queries about the activity of the user.

With this, users can ask questions such as “What tab was I working on in Google Chrome on the afternoon of July 20?” and the AI can provide the answer as well as show a snapshot of the tab.

Many expressed concerns about the privacy and security of the feature. In the earliest version of the feature, the screenshots were found to be stored unencrypted, allowing anyone with physical access to the device to check the screenshots. The negative response resulted in Microsoft taking down the feature, and claiming it will be re-released later with improvements.

The company, in the following month, announced several upgrades to the feature including adding encryption to the folder, and integration with Windows Hello security feature. The company also said the feature will be turned off by default and users will have to consent to turn it on.