How to Disable or Uninstall Windows Recall

How to Disable or Uninstall Windows Recall to Protect Your Data Privacy

This guide explains how to disable or completely uninstall the Windows Recall feature, addressing potential data privacy concerns. We will demonstrate the process on a system confirmed to have Windows Recall installed.

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Understanding Windows Recall Settings

On a system with Windows Recall, navigating to Settings > Privacy & security reveals the Recall & snapshots area. When active (typically requiring user sign-in and setup), this feature captures snapshots of your screen activity. While Microsoft states this data is stored locally on the computer, some users may prefer to disable or remove this functionality entirely.

Prerequisites: Copilot+ PC Hardware

Windows Recall is primarily designed for Copilot+ PCs, which feature compatible processors (like specific Snapdragon models). This guide assumes you are using such a system where Recall is potentially active or installed.

Method 1: Disabling Recall Features via Group Policy (Windows Pro/Enterprise/Education Editions)

This method uses the Local Group Policy Editor to configure settings related to Recall. Note that Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) is typically unavailable on Windows Home editions.

1. Open Group Policy Editor: Press the Windows key, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to Windows AI Policies: In the left pane, navigate to:
   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows AI
3. Configure Recall Policies: In the right pane, find and configure the following policies:
   • Turn off saving snapshots for use with Recall:
     • Double-click this policy.
     • Select the Enabled radio button. Explanation: Enabling this policy specifically prevents snapshots from being saved for Recall. If snapshots were previously saved, enabling this policy will also delete them.
     • Click Apply, then OK.
   • Disable Click to Do:
     • Double-click this policy.
     • Select the Enabled radio button. Explanation: Enabling this policy disables the “Click to Do” feature, preventing it from being available to users.
     • Click Apply, then OK.
   • (Optional – Primarily for Enterprise/Education SKUs)Set maximum storage for snapshots used by Recall:
     • Double-click this policy.
     • While primarily for specific Windows versions, you can select Disabled for thoroughness.
     • Click Apply, then OK.
   • (Optional – Primarily for Enterprise/Education SKUs)Set maximum duration for storing snapshots used by Recall:
     • Double-click this policy.
     • Select Disabled.
     • Click Apply, then OK.
   • (Optional – Primarily for Enterprise/Education SKUs)Set a list of apps to be filtered from snapshots for Recall:
     • Double-click this policy.
     • Select Disabled.
     • Click Apply, then OK.
   • (Optional – Primarily for Enterprise/Education SKUs)Set a list of URIs to be filtered from snapshots for Recall:
     • Double-click this policy.
     • Select Disabled.
     • Click Apply, then OK.
4. Configure Copilot Policies (Optional): If you also wish to disable Windows Copilot integration:
   • Navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot
   • Turn off Windows Copilot: Double-click, select Enabled, click Apply, then OK.
   • Set Copilot Hardware Key: Double-click, select Disabled, click Apply, then OK.
5. Restart Your PC: Changes made via Group Policy usually require a system restart to take full effect.

Method 2: Uninstalling the Windows Recall Component

This method removes the Recall feature package from the system.

1. Open Windows Features: Press the Windows key, type Turn Windows features on or off, and press Enter.
2. Locate Recall: Scroll through the list of Windows Features to find “Recall”.
3. Uncheck Recall: Click the checkbox next to “Recall” to uncheck it.
4. Confirm Changes: Click OK. Windows will process the changes, which involves removing the feature.
5. Restart Your PC: You will be prompted to restart your computer to complete the uninstallation process. Click Restart now.

Verification Steps

After restarting your PC following either or both methods, you can verify the changes:

1. Check Settings: Go back to Settings > Privacy & security. The “Recall & snapshots” section should no longer be present. The “Click to Do (preview)” setting might still be listed but should indicate it is off and potentially managed by your organization (due to the Group Policy setting).
2. Check via Command Prompt (Admin):
   • Press the Windows key, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Confirm the User Account Control prompt if it appears.
   • Type the following command and press Enter:
     dism /online /get-featureinfo /featurename:recall
   • Expected Result: Before performing the uninstall step, this might show the state as “Enabled”. After disabling via Group Policy and/or uninstalling via Windows Features, it should ideally show the state as “Disabled with Payload Removed” or return an error indicating the feature name “recall” is unknown or not recognized, confirming its removal or disabled state.
   • (Optional – Extra Confirmation) To ensure the feature service is disabled, run:
     dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:recall
   • You can run the get-featureinfo command again after this to confirm. An error message signifies the feature is no longer recognized by the system.

Conclusion

By following the Group Policy adjustments (for applicable Windows editions) and using the “Turn Windows features on or off” method to uninstall the component, you can effectively disable and remove the Windows Recall functionality from your Copilot+ PC. This addresses privacy concerns by preventing snapshot capture and removing the associated system components. Remember that a system restart is necessary for most of these changes to fully apply.