Enable Windows 11 Recall Safely (2026)

Recall takes snapshots of your screen so you can search everything you have ever seen on your PC. It is genuinely useful and it is also a privacy minefield, which is exactly why Microsoft made it opt-in, on-device, and locked behind Windows Hello. If you turn it on, do it deliberately.

Key takeaways

• Recall is opt-in; it does nothing until you switch on Save snapshots.
• It requires a Copilot+ PC with a qualifying NPU, plus BitLocker, Secure Boot, and Windows Hello.
• All data is stored and encrypted locally; nothing leaves your device.
• Windows Hello gates every access, so a stolen unlocked session still cannot open Recall without biometrics.
• Exclusion lists are essential; add banking, password managers, and private browsing before you rely on it.

What Recall does and what it needs

Recall periodically screenshots your activity, runs the images through on-device AI, and builds a searchable timeline. You can scrub back through your day or type a natural-language query like "the invoice with the blue logo" and jump straight to it. The related Click to Do feature lets you act on text and images inside those snapshots.

It only runs on Copilot+ PCs because the analysis happens on a neural processing unit (NPU), not in the cloud. The hardware and security bar is deliberately high.

Requirement	Minimum	Why it matters
PC class	Copilot+ with qualifying NPU	On-device AI needs the NPU
RAM	16 GB	Model and snapshot processing
Free storage	50 GB or more	Snapshot retention
BitLocker	On (system drive)	Encrypts the snapshot database
Secure Boot	On	Protects the boot chain
Windows Hello	Fingerprint or IR face	Required to open Recall

If any of these are missing, the toggle is greyed out or absent. Encryption keys are tied to the TPM and your Windows Hello identity, so the snapshot vault cannot be read without you.

Turn Recall on

1. Open Settings and go to Privacy and security, then Recall and snapshots.
2. If prompted, enroll a Windows Hello fingerprint or face sign-in first.
3. Toggle Save snapshots to On and confirm with Windows Hello.
4. Open Manage snapshots to set how much disk space Recall may use and how long snapshots are kept.
5. Scroll to the exclusion settings and add apps and websites you never want captured.

Recall starts building your timeline from that point forward; it does not retroactively capture past activity.

Lock it down before you trust it

The single most important step is the exclusion list. By default Recall filters some sensitive content, but you should be explicit.

Exclude apps and sites

In Recall and snapshots, add your password manager, banking apps, and any work tool that shows confidential data. For the browser, add specific sites to the "websites to filter" list. Recall automatically skips InPrivate and Incognito windows in supported browsers, but do not rely on that alone for sites you visit in normal windows.

Set retention and storage limits

Cap the disk allowance and shorten the retention window if you only need recent history. Smaller windows mean less sensitive data sitting on disk. You can clear all snapshots at any time with the Delete button.

Pair it with full-disk encryption discipline

Recall leans on BitLocker, so make sure your recovery key is backed up somewhere safe. If you are new to disk encryption, our guide to encrypting your laptop with BitLocker and FileVault covers the setup and the recovery-key rules that keep you from being locked out.

Recall on vs off: the trade-off

Factor	Recall on	Recall off
Find past activity	Search your whole timeline instantly	Rely on app history and memory
Privacy surface	Encrypted local snapshot vault exists	No snapshot data at all
Disk usage	50 GB or more reserved	None
Access control	Windows Hello required every time	Not applicable
Best for	Single-user, security-configured PCs	Shared PCs, high-sensitivity work

What to do right now

• Confirm you are on a Copilot+ PC with BitLocker and Secure Boot on and a Windows Hello method enrolled.
• Back up your BitLocker recovery key before enabling anything.
• Toggle Save snapshots on and confirm with Windows Hello.
• Immediately add your password manager, banking apps, and sensitive sites to the exclusion list.
• Set a retention limit and a disk cap you are comfortable with.
• If this is a shared machine, seriously consider leaving Recall off. For phone-side privacy, see enabling Stolen Device Protection on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

Does Recall send my screenshots to Microsoft?

No. All snapshots and the AI analysis stay on your device. The data is encrypted and tied to your TPM and Windows Hello identity, and nothing is uploaded to Microsoft's servers.

Can I use Recall without Windows Hello?

No. Windows Hello with a biometric method is mandatory. Recall requires it to launch and to view any snapshot, which is what stops someone from opening your history on an unlocked but unattended PC.

Will Recall capture my passwords?

It can capture whatever is on screen, so you must add password managers and sensitive sites to the exclusion list. Recall does filter some content and skips private browsing windows, but explicit exclusions are the reliable protection.

How much disk space does Recall use?

You need at least 50 GB free, and you control the ceiling in Manage snapshots. Lowering the retention period and disk allowance reduces how much snapshot data lives on your drive.

Can I delete my Recall history?

Yes. In Recall and snapshots you can delete individual snapshots, a time range, or everything. You can also turn Save snapshots off entirely, which stops new capture and lets you clear the existing vault.