Recall, an AI search tool that records everything you do

The latest buzz in the world of Windows is all about Recall, a new feature announced by the company at the recent event. The name suggests giving back something that didn’t function properly, if you recall (pun intended) how this term is used in the automotive industry. Here, however, we’re dealing with a totally different situation.

What is Windows 11's recall feature?

First off, it seems like the new function will only be available in the line of computers that Microsoft calls “Copilot+ PCs,” i.e., those designed to harness the power of AI and give the reigns thereof to the user. In a recent blog post, the company has introduced the said line and announced its partnership with all major makers of laptops (Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung) and top software developers. The latter actually have to build new versions of their products that would natively work with ARM processors.

Regarding this move, we’ve covered the developments in two posts:

Now, the new Windows-powered laptops are just around the corner, and they will render onboard AI-enabled support to users in pretty much every program. Creative types and coders will surely find this convenient, since AI is mostly used by them. But there’s also a standalone feature: Recall, internally called AI Explorer.

This one is a rather controversial function that, according to Microsoft, records your activity and gives you the opportunity to get back to (any?) moment you’ve been behind your PC since launching Recall. In the Apple ecosystem, there’s Time Machine, but Recall is nothing like that backup-and-restore feature: Microsoft decided that it’s a good idea to keep track of all your actions, no less. In this post on X, Satya Nadella explains the feature to a reporter who isn’t convinced it’s all that benign.

The marketing of Recall relies on the mentioned internal name, AI Explorer. If you’ve ever tried searching for something on your PC using the respective function of the built-in file browser, you know it doesn’t always work flawlessly. Recall, using the power of AI, will be able to find not only what you’re actually after, but also a bunch of other stuff that’s related thereto. Plus, it understands rather vague queries – demoing the feature, Microsoft’s Carolina Hernandez was willing to find “blue dress” – and doesn’t limit itself to files exclusively, scanning emails and everything else, too.

Again, so far, it looks like Recall will only be available in Windows builds for Copilot+ PCs, but it’s always good to know in advance when a technology that can have an impact on your life goes live. In the meantime, if an opportunity to double back to a certain moment is something you need, consider a backup program from the respective section of the Informer database:

System Tools – Backup & Restore

And do share your opinion about Recall in the comments below!