Microsoft Has Again Delayed the Launch of the Return Feature in Copilot+
Update from 10/31/2024 :
We’re now approaching the end of October, and Windows Insider testers still haven’t gotten access to Recall, Microsoft’s controversial feature that indiscriminately saves screenshots of your computer as you use it. Why? Well, according to The Verge , Recall has been delayed again, as it was originally slated to launch in June alongside the company’s and its partners’ Copilot+ laptops .
Just before the June launch, testing of the feature was pushed back to “the coming weeks” due to community outcry over security issues. In August, this window was moved to October , although it was still mysteriously missing for testers in the run-up to Halloween. Now, in a statement to The Verge, Microsoft Windows senior product manager Brandon LeBlanc has indicated that Windows Insiders may not be able to try out Recall until December.
LeBlanc did not give a clear reason for the ongoing delay, other than that Microsoft is “committed to providing a safe and secure Recall experience.”
The statement follows previous assurances that Microsoft gave to The Verge, reiterating that Recall will be available by consent and will be completely removed upon launch , which in turn was in response to community concerns that it had been secretly pushed out with the recent Windows 24H2 update (it was not). However, this kind of community concern may explain why Microsoft is taking its time with Recall to ensure it ruffles as few feathers as possible, given that its initial disclosure left users and security experts quite skeptical (for one thing , it was not always planned to subscribe ).
A slow roll is probably a good thing. While the idea of using AI to search through your PC activity over the past few months seems convenient, it also raises serious concerns about data collection and storage. However, the longer Copilot+ goes without highlighting, the more likely it is to compete with rival AI initiatives like Apple Intelligence .
The original text of this article, published on June 14, 2024, is below :
It’s been a rough few weeks for Microsoft’s Copilot+ feature, which hasn’t even launched yet. Once you have been called out for security reasons before you have agreed to participate by default , Recall is now delayed entirely.
In a blog post on the Windows website Thursday, Windows+ Devices corporate vice president Pawan Davuliri wrote that Recall will no longer launch with Copilot+ AI laptops on June 18 and will instead be moved to Windows Insider preview “in the coming weeks.”
“We are adjusting the Recall release model to leverage the experience of the Windows Insider community and ensure that this experience meets our high standards for quality and security,” explained Davuluri.
AI feature suffered due to security issues
This is a big blow for Microsoft, as Recall was supposed to be the main feature of its big push into AI laptops. The idea was for it to act as a sort of rewind button on your PC, constantly taking screenshots and allowing you to search through previous activities to keep up with everything you’ve done in the past, from viewing your browsing habits to tracking old school. notes. But the feature has also raised concerns about who has access to this data.
Davuliri explains in his post that screenshots are stored locally and that Recall does not send screenshots to Microsoft. He also says the snaps have “personal encryption” that prevents administrators and others logged into the same device from viewing them.
At the same time, security researchers were able to locate and extract a text file that they claimed was unencrypted. This puts things like passwords and financial information at risk of being stolen by hackers or even just a nosy roommate.
Davuliri didn’t specify when exactly Windows Insiders would receive Recall, but thanked the community for “a clear signal” that Microsoft needs to do more. In particular, he credited the community for deciding to disable Recall by default and enable Windows Hello (which requires either biometric identification or a PIN) for Recall before users can access it.
Generously limiting access to the Windows Insider program , which anyone can join for free, gives Microsoft more time to collect and weigh this kind of feedback. But it also takes the wind out of Copilot+’s sails just a week before launch, leaving the core experience nearly identical to current versions of Windows (with the exception of a few creative apps).
It also puts Qualcomm, which will supply chips for Microsoft’s first Copilot+ PCs, on a more level playing field with AMD and Intel, which won’t get Copilot+ features until later this year .