Windows is running new ads for its new Copilot+ PCs' Recall feature, touting the now-defunct feature as “your new photographic memory.” Just one problem: Microsoft canceled the recall for weeks, removing access to the tool from Windows Insiders after a deluge of negative press and user feedback. Recall has been dogged by privacy threats and fears since it was announced, with some governments even protesting against it.
Recall's brand new ad campaign reaches Meta and X (formerly Facebook/Instagram and Twitter) platforms. The X ad, seen above, was first posted on June 25th, after Recall access was completely removed from Insider builds of Windows, and appears to have gone live on July 1st when the first comments were visible. . Windows has also launched nine new campaigns based on Recall for Meta, each launching on July 3 and rolling out to Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. A mix of stills and videos that showcase just the functionality of the Recall are being promoted recently.
For those not in the loop, Recall was a tentpole feature of Windows' new Copilot+ PCs, a new category of laptops/notebooks designed to bring AI features to thinner and lighter notebooks. was Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Arm processors, the Copilot+ PCs aim to be a challenger to Apple's M-series chips. Recall monitors your screen usage, takes screenshots every few seconds, and logs everything you watch on the computer for easy retrieval in case you forget what you've seen. (hence Microsoft's “your new photographic memory” marketing tagline in the new ads).
Other AI features included on Copilot+ PCs at launch included Cocreator, Live Captions with Translation, and Windows Studio Effects. Without recall, the AI software suite is painfully poor, as noted in our review.
Recalls can return to Windows faster than one might expect. The feature was first “recalled” on June 8, when Microsoft announced that it would be an exclusively opt-in feature. Microsoft took further steps to limit access to Recall until the 20th, when Recall was completely removed from the opt-in preview of the Copilot+ release of Windows 11. “The recall is coming soon via a post-launch Windows Update,” reads the latest update.
No one has contacted Microsoft, Qualcomm, or any of the OEM Copilot+ partners. Tom's Hardware Saying Yad is coming back anytime soon. If and when that happens, it will face a seriously uphill battle against public opinion. Government agencies such as the UK's Information Commissioner's Office and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties have advised that Microsoft “must rigorously assess and mitigate threats to people's rights and freedoms”, noting the “privacy scare”. It can be a dream.” Statements like these have helped Recall become a PR nightmare for Windows and Microsoft, with most users opposed to the tool's existence.