Microsoft confused: Windows 11's Recall feature was mistakenly classed as uninstallable

By: Vlad Cherevko | 02.09.2024, 13:33

Microsoft has reported that the Recall feature in Windows 11, which allows users to take screenshots of everything that happens on the screen, was mistakenly listed as an option to remove. This bug will be fixed in an upcoming update.

Here's What We Know

Last week, on 29 August, Deskmodder noticed a change in the preview version of Windows 11 24H2, where update KB5041865 introduced an option to remove Recall from the Windows components section. A Microsoft spokesperson said that this was a bug and the next update will fix it.

The feature was originally supposed to arrive in June, but was delayed due to security issues. Researchers found that the database where screenshots are stored was not encrypted, which could allow malware to access the data.

Microsoft plans to make the feature optional, rather than enabled by default and with an encrypted database, and to use authentication through Windows Hello. The company plans to release a preview version of Recall for Windows Insiders in October.

Microsoft may include the option to remove Recall in European versions of Windows 11 to comply with EU law, where the company has already had to add the option to remove the Edge browser and Bing web search function from the Start menu.

Source: Deskmodder, The Verge