How to Stop Using Recall in Windows 11

What is Windows Recall?

Recall allows you to search for content you need at any time. Simply describe how you remember it, and Recall will retrieve that moment. Recall records snapshots of your screen and saves them in a timeline.

This feature uses a lot of storage resources; Microsoft states that storing snapshots for three months requires around 25GB, with a recommendation of 50GB of free space.

By default, Recall will use about 25GB from a 256GB hard drive, 75GB for a 512GB SSD, and 150GB for a 1TB SSD. That's a significant amount, isn't it?

From a 1TB SSD, you will only have 850GB of available space. Besides the reduced capacity, the write cycles of the SSD will increase, which can reduce the lifespan of the SSD.

Recall works similarly to the Recycle Bin. As additional information, the storage allocation for Recall operates like the Recycle Bin. When the feature approaches the set storage limit, the system will start deleting the oldest snapshots to make room for new ones, meaning the feature will not exceed the specified storage allocation and will not cause the system to run out of storage.

How to Change Recall Storage Allocation in Windows 11

Nevertheless, users can set the amount of allocation used by the Recall feature through the Settings page. For example, if you have a 512GB SSD, you can set it to 50GB or 25GB. For a 1TB SSD, the allocation options are 100GB, 75GB, 50GB, or 25GB, and for a 256GB SSD, you can set it to 10GB.

Here are the steps to change the storage allocation for the Recall feature in Windows 11:

1. First, open the Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshot page.
2. In the Maximum storage for snapshots section, change it according to the available options.

After changing, the system will immediately apply the new storage allocation for the Recall feature in Windows 11.

Remember, this feature will be available for Copilot+ PC devices scheduled to be released on June 18, 2024. So, if the device is not compatible, this feature will not be in your Windows 11 system.

How to Turn Off Recall in Windows 11

As we know, recently at the May 20, 2024 event, Microsoft announced the official debut of AI Explorer in Windows 11 under the name Recall. Recall is designed to help users find any activity they have done on their device, such as documents, images, websites, messages, emails, apps, and more, using an AI model that operates locally on the Windows 11 system.

Technically, the Recall feature will continuously take snapshots of all screen activity and potentially record sensitive information such as passwords, personal videos, and more. Although Microsoft states that this process is done locally, there are still concerns about privacy and security.

Besides privacy issues, another challenge is that this feature requires a lot of storage space. Microsoft mentions that storing snapshots for three months requires around 25GB, with a recommendation of 50GB of free space. For new Copilot+ PC devices, storage might not be a significant issue, but for some users, it can be detrimental as increased SSD write cycles can reduce the SSD's lifespan.

Can this feature be turned off? Of course, it can. Microsoft has explained how to disable this feature both temporarily and permanently. Here are the steps:

Temporarily Disabling the Recall Feature in Windows 11:

1. Click the Recall button in the Windows 11 Taskbar or System Tray.
2. Select 'Pause until tomorrow'.
3. The Recall feature will stop taking snapshots temporarily until you re-enable it or until the specified time.

Permanently Disabling the Recall Feature in Windows 11:

1. Open the Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshot page. 

   

2. Turn off the 'Save snapshot' option that is marked.
3. The Recall feature will be disabled and will no longer take snapshots of user activities.

Remember, this feature will be available for Copilot+ PC devices scheduled to be released on June 18, 2024. If the device is not compatible, this feature will not be in your Windows 11 system.