Snapshot storage: content stays local
We built privacy and security into Recall's design from the ground up. With Copilot+ PCs, you get powerful AI that runs locally on your device. No internet or cloud connections are required or used to save and analyze snapshots. Snapshots and associated data are stored locally on the device. Recall does not share snapshots or associated data with Microsoft or third parties, nor is it shared between different Windows users on the same device. Windows will ask for your permission before saving snapshots. You are always in control, and you can delete snapshots, pause or turn them off at any time. Any future options for the user to share data will require fully informed explicit action by the user. Like any Windows feature, some diagnostic data may be provided based on the user’s privacy settings. For more information about diagnostic data, see
Diagnostics, feedback, and privacy in Windows.
Recall doesn't share snapshots with other users that are signed into Windows on the same device. Microsoft can't access or view the snapshots. Recall requires you to confirm your identity before it launches and before you can access your snapshots, so you’ll also need to
enroll into Windows Hello if you haven’t already enrolled. You must have at least one biometric sign-in option enabled for Windows Hello, either facial recognition or a fingerprint, to launch and use Recall. Before snapshots start getting saved to your device, you’ll need to open Recall and authenticate. Recall takes advantage of just in time decryption protected by
Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS). Snapshots and any associated information in the vector database are always encrypted. Encryption keys are protected via Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which is tied to your Windows Hello ESS identity, and can be used by operations within a secure environment called a
Virtualization-based Security Enclave (VBS Enclave). This means that other users cannot access these keys and thus cannot decrypt this information. Device Encryption or BitLocker are enabled by default on Windows 11. For more information, see
Recall security and privacy architecture in the Windows Experience Blog.
You can delete your snapshots at any time by going to
Settings >
Privacy & security >
Recall & snapshots on your PC. Windows sets a maximum storage size to use for snapshots, which you can change at any time. Once that maximum is reached, the oldest snapshots are deleted automatically. You can also choose how long snapshots can be saved on your device.
