Microsoft wants at all costs to make tasks easier for the user and, to do so, it is thinking about massive integration of the artificial intelligence in your operating system. One of the new functions is «Recall» that takes snapshots of all the actions we perform in Windows 11. Well, this new feature can reveal your passwords and much more.
We saw how at the beginning of the week Microsoft presented the new features of Copilot+. We are talking about a set of new functions based on artificial intelligence exclusive to Windows 11.
You should know that all these new features, although they will reach all users, not everyone will be able to use them. Specific hardware is required for its operation, specifically, processors that have specific NPU cores for AI. The problem is that there are still very few computers with processors that include them.
New function with “photographic” memory
Suspicions regarding privacy have always hovered over Microsoft and its operating systems. Something that is now a big concern again due to the new “Recall” function. Microsoft has detailed that this new feature performs all processing and storage locally. This means that Windows 11 will not send data to Microsoft or third-party companies. Also, in theory, we should be able to use this feature without needing an internet connection.
Windows 11 encrypts all snapshots taken so that no one can access the activities. In addition, as they have highlighted, this function can be paused or deactivated. You can even exclude them, allowing these snapshots not to be taken when we use certain programs.
The new function also allows you to exclude web pages. This feature will only work on Microsoft Eggdge and any other Chromium-based browsers, such as Google Chrome. In addition, Microsoft has made it clear that it will not capture content with digital rights reserved (DRM).
Although there is one aspect that you should keep in mind and that is that “Recall” does not moderate the content. This means that it will not hide information such as passwords or bank account numbers. We could have screenshots containing this data on our computer and we may not know it. A serious risk to our security, no matter how much the captures made are encrypted.
The operating system will notify us during the initial configuration and allow us to customize some of the parts. When the “Recall” function is active, we will have a new icon in the tray area. It serves to notify us that the operating system is taking screenshots of what is happening. By clicking on this icon we can pause the snapshots, open “Recall” or go to “Settings”.
Regarding configuration, the “Recall” settings are in the “Privacy and security” section. Inside here we will find a new option that will be “Recovery and snapshots”. Within this option we can adjust the space that the operating system saves for these snapshots. Additionally, we can exclude applications, filter websites and other additional settings. The truth is that since it can compromise passwords and other important personal data, it is better to turn off this function for security.
This new function generates quite a bit of concern, especially knowing that it does not obfuscate passwords or bank accounts. We imagine that it does not encrypt other data, such as identity documents, personal data, locations and others. Come on, a big nonsense.