Microsoft recently revealed a feature called Recall, for Copilot+ PCs that captures encrypted snapshots of user activities.
Unlike the usual cloud-based solutions, Recall is a local star, storing your activity directly on your device’s Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip. This is certainly a win for those who are cloud-weary.
Note that this Recall feature has existed since 2023 on Mac through the tool Rewind, which I am an enthusiastic user of.
Take aways:
- Snapshot on device: Rather than relying on cloud storage, Recall saves encrypted snapshots of your screen activity on your device’s Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip. This ensures local storage and accessibility of information at all times.
- Time travel: The Recall feature allows users to ‘time travel’ back to something they saw on the PC earlier. It brings past data or actions to the present to enhance productivity or revive the past when necessary.
- Privacy concerns: Although Microsoft guarantees encryption, possible misuse cannot be ruled out, more so if someone gains unauthorized access to your account. The controversial Recall requires a massive 256GB of storage and is currently under user feedback testing phase, which might tip the balance between being a game-changer or a privacy compromiser.