Microsoft recently announced the new CoPilot+ PC that brings a lot of advanced AI features to the Windows 11 OS. One of the most interesting yet controversial features is “Recall.” With the Recall feature, users can access content they viewed in the past. It enhances productivity by allowing them to quickly retrieve previously seen information. But this feature is only available on the upcoming CoPilot+ PC. The feature requires new processors like Snapdragon X chips and next-gen Intel and AMD processors.
Recall Feature Functionality and High Requirements
The Recall feature is a part of Microsoft’s vision for AI-enabled PCs. Microsoft plans to add more AI features to make its operating system smarter. Recall is one of those features. The feature takes snapshots of the active screen and stores the data for later searches. This allows users to check out webpages, or files they previously viewed.
Recall can boost productivity by letting users quickly find the content they viewed before. However, it comes with high requirements. This feature requires a CoPilot+ PC, 16GB RAM, and also a powerful NPU.
Recall Feature Runs Without NPU
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Despite the high requirements, a developer was able to run the Recall feature on his low-end PC. User Albacore posted on X, revealing their success in running Recall on a system with Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, 3.4GB RAM, and no NPU. The developer said it ran “surprisingly good” on their low-end system.
In another post, the developer mentioned that all the processing is done locally. So, using Recall might still work on low-end systems without NPU. Unsupported devices may not work as well as supported ones, but they still offer many benefits.
Addressing Privacy Concerns
With the announcement of Recall, there were many privacy concerns. For example, it might be easier for hackers to trick Recall and get users’ information. Even influencer figures like Elon Musk expressed their concerns with the Recall feature. However, Microsoft did things to counter objections. In the app, users can manage their privacy settings to limit features as desired. Moreover, the recorded data is encrypted on-device and tied to the user profile. Even after these, the concerns are there. What do you think about the new feature? Let us know in the comments below.
