Microsoft should encourage users to use Recall more

Surprise! Copilot+'s most controversial feature, Recall, is returning. It was supposed to be part of the software suite back in June, but was delayed indefinitely after privacy concerns arose about the way Recall stored its data. Some people hoped this would be the last time we'd ever see Recall, but Microsoft quietly updated Recall in the Insider builds even after it was retired. So there was a good chance Microsoft was planning to bring Recall back in a new, secure form.

And that's exactly what Microsoft did. The company announced that Recall will return to Insider builds next October. In addition, the company took a lot of time to explain why Recall is worth trying again now and what it has done to improve it. However, as I read through the statements, I came to the conclusion that Microsoft should do a lot more to encourage people to use Recall.

The new Recall is what Recall should have been from day one

The bridge of first impressions has long since burned down

If you want to read Microsoft's statement on the new Recall, you can do so on the Windows Experience Blog. There's a lot to read, but the gist is that Microsoft claims to have fixed all of Recall's security issues. It also claims that Recall is much easier to manage, as users can view and delete all saved screenshots, and a small notification appears every time Recall takes a snapshot.

Sounds good, right? One problem: All of these things should have been there from the start. These are all very basic privacy measures that should not have been added as a “new and improved” version of Recall. The last time we saw Recall, it turned on by default, took photos without your knowledge, and stored all of your information in plain text. It was so bad for privacy that Microsoft had to recall Recall to get it right.

Now it's back, and Microsoft has gotten it to the state it should have been in all along. That alone isn't impressive; getting Recall to a secure state is a minimum requirement if Microsoft wants people to use it. The company still has a long way to go before it can restore Recall's reputation.

People are not convinced that Copilot+ is worth the effort, let alone Recall

The disadvantages of Copilot Plus

I'd be much more confident that Microsoft could make Recall a commercially available feature if people flocked to Copilot+ PCs. But they really aren't; people are indifferent to all new AI features. And to be honest, I can't blame them; nothing about Copilot+ PCs makes me want to throw out my current PC and invest in Microsoft's new AI-powered future.

Our editor-in-chief Rich Woods got his hands on the new Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs when they launched and has been tinkering with them ever since. In an email sent to XDA Newsletter on Sunday, he explains that his devices are Snapdragon devices first and Copilot+ PCs second:

I have tested several Copilot+ PCs and they are fantastic because they have Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite chipset. Copilot+ adds almost no value. Without [Recall]you're left with pretty lame services like Cocreator and Windows Studio Effects. Live Captions is pretty good, but I wouldn't go out and buy a new PC for it.

If Microsoft wants people to give Recall a second chance, it needs to convince them that Recall is worth buying a Copilot+ PC for. It needs to show us demos of the technology and how it can enrich our lives and make it easier to get things done. While it's at it, it can do the same for the rest of the Copilot+ suite, because right now people aren't convinced.

With the upcoming Apple Intelligence, Microsoft must improve its performance – and quickly

A new rival is on the way

This would be all well and good if Microsoft had unlimited time to patch, improve, and refine Recall until it was a quality product worth the time. But that's not the case, because after Microsoft announced (and “unannounced”) its Recall feature, Apple Intelligence came along and promised that it too can use your device usage to better serve you.

Admittedly, Apple Intelligence is not the de facto winner in this race. While there are reasons to trust Apple Intelligence more than Recall, there are also reasons to trust Recall more than Apple Intelligence. But it is a competitor to Recall, and if Microsoft wants to emerge victorious, it cannot afford to stumble at the starting block and spend months implementing features that should have been an integral part of the design.

Recall needs more from Microsoft to get going

With Recall leaving a bad taste in people's mouths and Apple launching its own version of the AI-powered technology, Microsoft really needs to show why Recall is worth our time, and the money required to upgrade to a Copilot+ PC. If it can't do that, people just won't buy Recall. And considering Copilot+ PCs already seem flimsy, a major feature flop like this could really hurt Microsoft's position in the AI ​​race. The company needs to either show us how great Recall is, or let it fall by the wayside.