3 Reasons Uninstalling Recall Was the Best Bug Windows Ever Had

by
url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url

Key findings

  • Allowing users to uninstall Recall can increase trust in Copilot+.
  • People should have the choice about which AI features are installed on their PC.
  • If Microsoft doesn't allow them to do this manually, users will inevitably find ways to remove tools.



If you've been following Windows news lately, you might have read that there were some strange things going on with Copilot+'s controversial Recall feature. After Microsoft initially removed it from the Copilot+ list, the company announced that it was adding Recall back into the testing realm. And sure enough, after a few months, Recall made its big comeback in the Windows testing branch.

However, something strange was going on. A German website pointed out that it was possible to uninstall Recall from their computer. This was very interesting as it seemed like Microsoft was giving people leeway on whether their PCs had Recall or not. Others were unable to replicate the feature, but there was a chance that Microsoft was adding the ability to uninstall Recall due to EU law; after all, we have seen companies bow to the DMA in the past.


Then Microsoft broke the silence and said no, no one was getting off that easy. It turns out the ability to uninstall Recall was a bug that Microsoft quickly fixed. This, in my opinion, gives Microsoft the crown for the best Windows bug it ever fixed.


1 The ability to uninstall Recall could have increased user confidence in Copilot+

Don’t force anyone to use features they don’t want

Currently, Microsoft is on the back foot with Copilot+. Its flagship feature Recall had to be pulled before release after people realized it wasn't very secure. When Microsoft did reinstate the feature, it wasn't exactly successful in encouraging people to use Recall. Granted, some good features were added to address Recall's privacy issues, but all of the features should have been there from the start.


Microsoft has already made a bad first impression with Recall, calling it spyware at best and a huge privacy risk at worst. If Microsoft really wants people to switch to Copilot+, it should really allow them to remove Recall. Not just disabling it, not just turning it off during installation – a complete uninstall. That's the only way Microsoft can regain trust in its AI suite, in my opinion.

2 People should decide for themselves which AI functions are installed on their PC

AI tools should be installed by the user, not the manufacturer

Microsoft Recall runs on a Copilot+ device.

So why stop at Recall? AI tools as a whole should be uninstallable from a PC. Users should have the ability to add or remove AI models from their computer – again, not just disable them, but remove them completely.


Why? Well, AI tools are a bit more serious than standard apps. You might get a device with bloatware that you don't really want but can't uninstall, but you just can't use it. AI tools, on the other hand, can read user documents and look into videos to create summaries, which can pose a major privacy risk if sensitive information is intercepted.

And yes, these AI tools can run locally on a Copilot+ PC, so at least no data is sent back to Microsoft's servers. However, any company that handles sensitive information probably won't want a bot sifting through its documents, local or not. And you can bet some users feel the same way.

3 Users will still find a way to remove it

Only delaying the inevitable

The Winpilot Adblock Dashboard
Photo credit: builtbybel


But let's be honest: Even if Microsoft never decides to make Recall uninstallable, other people will find a way to fight back. If I've learned anything from Windows 11's unofficial ad blockers, it's that Windows users don't often give up without a fight.

Microsoft has enough trouble on its hands as it is. It's really trying to stop people from creating local accounts and upgrading to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. And by making Recall uninstallable, it opens the door for people to develop tools that interfere with its AI offerings. If Microsoft doesn't want people downloading apps that rid Windows of unwanted tools, it should give the user the option to uninstall those tools; that way the app isn't needed in the first place.


At least if Microsoft makes Recall uninstallable and reinstallable, people might give the feature a chance, knowing they can change their minds at any time. But Microsoft has forced Recall on everyone, so users will now take the nuclear option to make sure it stays gone.

To uninstall the callback, call the callback

Microsoft has an uphill battle to regain interest in its AI tools, but forcing people to have Recall on their systems and only offering the option to disable it probably won't inspire much trust in the tool. If the company wants people to love Recall, it needs to make it an installable and uninstallable tool, otherwise people will either find a way to get rid of it or refuse to buy a Copilot+ machine.

Leave a Comment