After all, Windows 11 won’t let you uninstall Recall, the controversial photographic memory

If you buy Co-pilot + PCMicrosoft You will not be able to delete Recall.controversial photographic memories of Windows 11. This means that while its use will be optional and you can leave it disabled, Redmond will not allow you to permanently remove it from your computer.

This was confirmed by Microsoft Edgeafter Recall was among the features that could be removed from Windows 11 following a recent update released exclusively for Copilot+ PCs.

As it became known a few days ago, users who installed the latest Windows 11 update on their Copilot+ computer found a way Uncheck the “Restore” box under “Turn Windows features on or off”.. This would, at least in theory, allow photographic memory to be removed from compatible computers. And we say “theoretically” because this AI-powered utility is not yet available in the operating system.

However, Redmond residents have now indicated that the inclusion of Recall’s removal on the list under consideration it happened by mistake“We’re aware of an issue where the Repair option doesn’t appear correctly in the Turn Windows features on or off dialog in Control Panel. This will be fixed in a future update,” said Brandon LeBlanc, Windows product manager. Edge.

Windows 11 Won’t Let You Uninstall Recall Even If You Never Use It

At this point, Recall’s debut on Windows 11 is already positioned as one of the big flops of 2024. Microsoft announced the tool in May, with the intention of launching it in June with the first Copilot+ PC. However, it quickly became a headache for Satya Nadella’s team.

If the function is enabled, the call takes screenshots and processes them using artificial intelligence create a searchable directory using natural language. Microsoft claims that the entire process is done locally, protecting data. It even allows you to add exceptions so that certain websites or apps are not registered. However, it quickly became clear that its implementation is a security and privacy nightmare.

Microsoft announced several changes to improve Recall, but was ultimately forced to delay its debut in Windows 11. The feature is expected to arrive We will start testing in October through the Windows Insider program, but it doesn’t have an official release date at this time.

Using Recall in Windows 11 will not be mandatory and, in fact, Microsoft will keep it. disabled by default on PC Copilot+. However, the lack of ability to completely remove it from computers if users think they will never use it is already causing complaints.

However, it is possible that the company will offer the option to remove it from devices in certain regions. Edge indicates that under Digital Markets Act The European Union requires Microsoft to allow the removal of some pre-installed features in its OS. And it would not be surprising if the bloc’s regulators demanded that Recall comply with this condition.