You may have seen headlines about a new Windows 11 feature called Recall — part of Microsoft’s upcoming Copilot+ PC experience. It’s currently in preview only, so why the big fuss? Well, it’s already raising important questions for business owners and directors, particularly around data protection, privacy, and staff training.
Here’s what you need to know — and how to prepare for if, or when, this technology becomes relevant to your business.
First: Who Can Use Recall Right Now?
Windows 11 Recall is currently available only in preview, for users in the Windows Insider Program, and only on the new generation of Copilot+ PCs — devices with built-in NPUs (Neural Processing Units) designed to handle on-device AI.
To use Recall, you also need:
- A supported Copilot+ device
- A Windows 11 Insider Preview build
- Windows Hello (face or fingerprint sign-in)
- Full drive encryption and appropriate free storage
So for now, it’s not something most businesses will have access to — but it’s coming soon.
What Is Recall?
Recall takes automatic, encrypted snapshots of your screen every few seconds and stores them locally. It creates a searchable visual timeline of your activity — letting you find things you saw, worked on, or read, using natural language search.
Business Benefits (When Used Well)
- Improved productivity: Employees can easily revisit past work, even if they didn’t save it or close a tab.
- Reduced lost effort: Helps recover previous versions of work or retrace steps after an interruption.
- No cloud storage: Everything is stored locally and encrypted, not uploaded to Microsoft servers.
Key Risks and Considerations
1. Sensitive information can be captured.
Anything that appears on screen may be stored, including:
- Client data or emails
- Internal financials
- Staff or payroll records
- Website logins or forms
This creates real data protection risks, especially in HR, finance, or legal roles.
2. Devices must be secured.
While data is encrypted, it could be exposed if a device is stolen or compromised and proper protections like BitLocker or MFA aren’t in place.
3. Staff privacy must be addressed.
Employees may feel uneasy about automatic screen logging. Transparency and updated acceptable use policies will be essential.
4. It’s not “smart” about context.
Windows 11 Recall doesn’t understand what’s confidential or what shouldn’t be captured — it just records what was on screen.
5. Can lead to disorganised working
If employees are not required to remember for themselves which files they have worked on and where they are stored, they are no longer exercising their own memory function. This could lead to short-term memory problems, lower performance and potential for mental health issues as a result. We’re already seeing issues in workplaces with employees who now rely on Googling or ChatGPTing everything rather than committing facts or how to do routine tasks to memory.
Staff Awareness Is Crucial
Employees can pause, delete, or switch off Windows 11 Recall at any time — but the key point is:
It’s up to them to manage it responsibly.
For example:
- If someone is viewing private HR data, payroll details, or customer bank info, they need to pause Recall manually.
- If they forget to pause it, that sensitive material could be saved in the timeline.
- If they disable it altogether, they lose the benefit of Recall — and won’t be able to recover work they’ve done.
So training will be essential. Staff will need to:
- Understand how Recall works
- Know when to pause or exclude sensitive content
- Take ownership of turning it back on when safe to do so
We recommend incorporating this into onboarding and internal data protection training as part of any rollout.
Our Advice for Now
Even though Recall isn’t available to most businesses yet, we recommend:
- Reviewing your data exposure risks — especially for client-facing or regulated roles
- Ensuring your devices are secured with Windows Hello and full encryption
- Preparing acceptable use and training policies to cover features like Recall
- Evaluating device purchases carefully as Copilot+ PCs become more widely available
In Summary
Windows 11 Recall is powerful — but with great power comes the need for clear boundaries, staff training, and strong device security. Right now, it’s not something most small businesses can use — but as AI-enabled devices become the norm, it’s a conversation worth having.
Let us know if you’d like help reviewing your policies, user training, or a roadmap for adopting (or limiting access to) AI-powered features like Recall.
;
