New Recall features for Windows 11: Is it worth a try?

The Recall function introduced by the Windows 11 2024 update has aroused many expectations and concerns from users. This article will dig into the pros and cons of Recall to help you decide whether to enable this feature.

What is Windows 11 Recall?

Recall is a new feature only for Copilot-equipped computers, which leverages natural language processing technology to simplify the process of finding and recalling information. Recall regularly captures screenshots as a “photographic memory” aid that makes it easy for you to search for content from a variety of sources, such as applications, websites, images, and documents. It should be noted that Recall does not capture audio or continuous video.

You have full control over this feature, including managing saved snapshots, completely disable snapshot saving, temporary pause, filtering applications, and deleting snapshots as needed.

So, should you use Windows 11 Recall?

Why should I use Windows 11 Recall?

The following benefits of Recall may prompt you to enable this feature:

1. Faster and more convenient content search

Your computer stores a large number of files, and it may be difficult to find a document, a website you visited before, or search online. Windows Recall simplifies this search process.

After opening the Recall app, you will see a search bar at the top. Enter your question and Recall will display the search results based on your question.

2. Improve efficiency

With Recall, you don't have to spend a lot of time looking for documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. Simply enter a file name in Recall to easily find the files you want, which greatly improves work, study and life efficiency.

3. User-friendly interface

Recall has a simple and easy-to-use interface. The search box is located in the center and at the bottom for easy search.

Next to the search box is the "Timeline" function, so you can quickly browse previous operation records even if you don't remember the specific content.

Search results are organized by category. Once you select a snapshot, you can easily copy the project to the clipboard or access the app that contains the content you want.

4. Offline search

Windows Recall stores snapshots on your local computer and relies on multiple AI models included in the Windows Copilot runtime. No data is uploaded to the cloud for processing, so it works fine even if there is no network connection.

5. Easy to manage

Windows allows you to change Recall settings. In Windows 11 Settings, navigate to Privacy and Security > Recall and Snapshots to modify the settings.

For example:

• Enable or disable this feature with the switch next to Save Snapshot.
• Change the storage capacity of the snapshot based on hard disk space.
• Delete the snapshot.
• Filter apps and websites that you don't want to take snapshots.

Why shouldn't you use Windows 11 Recall?

You may not want to use Windows 11 Recall for the following reasons:

1. Privacy Break Risk

Although Microsoft explains that Recall snapshots are stored locally, you may still be worried about privacy issues. While the official statement Windows 11 Recall uses a local AI model to process snapshots, if you don't trust it, you can choose not to use Recall.

2. Inadequate security

Recall does not have any system security protection by default. Recall data is protected only after enabling and configuring device encryption on BitLocker or Windows 11 Home Edition on Windows 11 Professional.

Additionally, Recall does not have password protection. Anyone who can log into your computer can also access Recall data stored on your device.

3. Disk space usage

Windows 11 Recall will use a lot of space to build and maintain its database.

For example, if the computer is equipped with a 256GB SSD, the default space for Recall is 25GB; the 512GB SSD is 75GB; and the 1TB SSD is 150GB.

It is worth mentioning that the 25GB allocation can only retain Recall data for up to three months. To extend this time, you need to increase the allocated space, the main way is to upgrade the drive to a larger drive.

You can upgrade your computer drive using the Migrate Operating System to SSD/HD feature in the MiniTool Partition Wizard.

4. Higher hardware requirements

According to Windows Recall AI hardware requirements, you need a Copilot computer to run Recall on Windows 11. Basic requirements include at least 40 TOPS NPU (Neural Processing Unit) and Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor. Other requirements include 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM.

5. Recall limitations

Windows Recall does not record files you never open, which will limit your search range. Additionally, if the storage allocation for Recall has been used up, the oldest snapshot will be deleted. Therefore, you may not be willing to use this feature.

If you accidentally delete some important files, you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to recover files. This data recovery tool can be run on all versions of Windows, including Windows 11.

Summarize

Should you use Windows 11 Recall? As an attractive new feature, there are good reasons to choose to use or abandon it. You can make a decision based on what is mentioned in this article.

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