How to Disable Windows Recall (And What You Should Know First)
Windows Recall is a feature introduced by Microsoft as part of its AI-powered Copilot+ PC initiative. It works by periodically taking screenshots of your screen activity, indexing that content, and making it searchable through a natural language interface. The idea is that you can find anything you've seen on your computer — a webpage, document, or conversation — just by describing it.
That capability comes with obvious privacy trade-offs. Whether you've just learned about Recall or you've had concerns since it was announced, disabling it is a reasonable choice — and it's something Windows 11 allows you to do.
What Windows Recall Actually Does
Before adjusting the setting, it helps to understand what you're turning off. Recall uses on-device AI processing to analyze and index screenshots taken at regular intervals while you're using your PC. This data is stored locally — not sent to Microsoft's servers — but it creates a detailed visual record of your activity.
Microsoft built in some baseline protections: private browsing sessions in supported browsers are excluded by default, and sensitive content like passwords and payment card numbers are filtered out. Still, the scope of what gets captured — emails, documents, chat messages, code — is broad enough that many users prefer to disable it entirely.
Recall is only available on Copilot+ PCs, which are systems meeting specific hardware requirements, most notably a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of at least 40 TOPS (tera operations per second). If your PC doesn't meet these requirements, you won't see Recall as an option at all.
How to Turn Off Windows Recall
Microsoft adjusted its rollout approach for Recall following early privacy criticism. As of its wider release, Recall is opt-in during setup, meaning it shouldn't be active unless you enabled it. However, the steps to disable or manage it are worth knowing regardless of your setup state.
Option 1: Disable Recall During Initial Setup
When setting up a Copilot+ PC with Windows 11, you'll be prompted to enable or skip Recall. Declining at this stage keeps it fully inactive without requiring further configuration.
Option 2: Turn Off Recall in Settings
If Recall is already active or you want to confirm it's disabled:
- Open Settings (Windows key + I)
- Navigate to Privacy & Security
- Select Recall & Snapshots
- Toggle off Save snapshots
Turning off this toggle stops new snapshots from being taken. You can also delete previously saved snapshots from this same screen.
Option 3: Remove Recall as an Optional Feature
For users who want a more complete removal:
- Open Settings
- Go to System → Optional Features
- Search for Recall
- Select it and choose Uninstall
This removes the feature from your system entirely rather than just pausing it. Reinstalling it later would require going back to Optional Features and adding it again.
Option 4: Use Group Policy (For Advanced Users or IT Environments)
On Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise editions, Recall can be disabled through the Local Group Policy Editor:
- Path:
Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows AI - Policy: Turn off Saving Snapshots for Windows
This method is particularly relevant for managed business environments where IT administrators want to enforce the setting across multiple devices.
🔒 What Happens to Already-Captured Data?
If Recall has been running, it may have stored a library of snapshots on your device. Disabling the feature stops future captures, but existing snapshots remain until you delete them manually.
To clear saved data:
- Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Recall & Snapshots
- Select Delete snapshots — you can choose a time range or delete everything
The snapshots are stored in a protected folder on your local drive. Deleting through the Settings interface is the recommended method rather than navigating to the folder directly.
Variables That Affect Your Approach
Not every user's situation is identical. A few factors meaningfully change how you should think about this:
| Factor | How It Affects Your Approach |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 version | Recall availability and UI placement have changed across updates — your Settings layout may look slightly different |
| PC type | Only Copilot+ hardware has Recall; standard Windows 11 PCs won't have this setting |
| Account type | Group Policy options require Pro or Enterprise editions; Home users are limited to Settings and Optional Features |
| Organizational device | IT policy may already have Recall disabled, or may restrict your ability to change it |
| Existing snapshot data | If Recall was active, you'll need to actively delete past captures — not just toggle the feature off |
What "Disabled" Actually Means ⚙️
There's a practical distinction between pausing Recall (toggling off snapshots) and uninstalling it as an optional feature. Pausing stops data collection but leaves the underlying components installed, ready to re-enable. Uninstalling removes those components — a more thorough option if you have no intention of using the feature.
Neither option affects other Copilot or AI features in Windows 11. Recall is a discrete component, and disabling it doesn't touch Copilot's other functionality, Windows Search, or any other system behavior.
Whether the right choice is a simple toggle or a full removal depends on how your PC is used, whether it's a personal or work device, and how thoroughly you want to limit what the system captures. The same steps are available either way — what differs is which one fits your situation.