How to Turn Off Windows Recall and Copilot AI
Recall is off by default on every Copilot+ PC — Microsoft made that change after serious public backlash to the original 2024 announcement. But it's genuinely easy to opt in without meaning to during first setup, and Windows Update has been known to re-enable features people previously turned off. Here's how to check your actual status, disable both Recall and Copilot properly, and clear out anything already captured.
Recall's settings live under Privacy & Security — a separate page from where most Windows AI features are configured.
Check Recall & Snapshots in Settings First
Recall requires Copilot+ hardware — an NPU rated at 40+ TOPS, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. If your PC doesn't meet that bar, Recall isn't installed at all, and you can skip straight to the Copilot section below. If it does, Recall takes periodic screenshots of your screen, stores them locally, and lets you search through your activity history in plain language later.
After the original 2024 announcement drew serious criticism over privacy, Microsoft rebuilt Recall as opt-in: it stays off by default, requires Windows Hello authentication to enable and to view, and encrypts snapshots at rest. That's genuinely better than the original design, but opt-in only protects you if you actually decline it during setup — it's easy to click through a setup screen without registering what you agreed to.
How to Turn Off Recall (Copilot+ PCs Only)
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Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security
Press Win + I to open Settings, then select Privacy & Security from the left sidebar.
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Select Recall & Snapshots
This is a dedicated settings page, separate from the general Windows Copilot settings — it's easy to miss if you're only looking at the taskbar Copilot icon.
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Toggle "Save snapshots" off
This stops any new screenshots from being captured going forward. It does not remove snapshots that were already taken before you disabled it.
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Select "Delete snapshots" to clear existing history
A separate control on the same page removes everything Recall has already captured. Confirm "Delete all" to fully clear the local database.
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Check again after major Windows updates
Feature updates have occasionally reset settings that were previously turned off. It's worth a quick check on this page after any major Windows Update, not just once.
How to Remove Copilot From Your Taskbar
Removing the Copilot icon from the taskbar is a separate step from disabling Recall.
Group Policy Editor gives Windows 11 Pro users a more permanent way to disable Copilot than the taskbar toggle alone.
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Right-click the taskbar and open Taskbar settings
Or go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar directly.
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Turn off the Copilot toggle
This removes the icon from view but doesn't fully uninstall the feature — the underlying app stays present.
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On Windows 11 Pro, use Group Policy Editor for a firmer block
Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, then navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot. Enable "Turn off Windows Copilot" and restart. Windows 11 Home doesn't include Group Policy Editor, so the taskbar toggle is the main option there.
What Disabling These Features Does and Doesn't Change
- Stops any new screen-capture activity from Recall immediately
- Removes the visible Copilot entry point from your everyday workflow
- Clears previously captured snapshots when you use the Delete option
- Group Policy blocking on Pro editions survives most routine updates
- Other AI features baked into Windows Search and File Explorer are separate toggles
- Major feature updates have occasionally re-enabled previously disabled settings
- Windows 11 Home lacks Group Policy Editor, so the taskbar toggle is less permanent
- Third-party apps with their own AI features aren't affected by these Windows-level settings
A Few Minutes Well Spent, Especially After Updates
Recall's opt-in design is genuinely better than its 2024 debut — but verify, don't assume.
Microsoft's changes after the original backlash were real improvements: off by default, Windows Hello required, encryption at rest. The remaining risk isn't the feature's design, it's that opt-in only works if you actually notice and decline it, and that major updates have a track record of resetting settings people previously turned off. A five-minute check through Recall & Snapshots and the Copilot taskbar toggle is worth doing now, and worth repeating after any big Windows update.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windows Recall on by default?
No. After backlash following its original 2024 announcement, Microsoft made Recall opt-in — it's off by default on every Copilot+ PC, and you have to actively enable it during setup or later in Settings. It's easy to tap through the setup screen without reading it closely, so it's worth checking your current status even if you don't remember turning it on.
Do I need a Copilot+ PC for this to apply to me?
Recall specifically requires Copilot+ hardware — a PC with an NPU rated at 40+ TOPS, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. If your PC was bought before mid-2024 or isn't marketed as a Copilot+ PC, it almost certainly doesn't have Recall at all. Regular Copilot (the chat assistant, not Recall) runs on far more Windows 11 PCs and can be disabled separately using the steps above.
Does turning off Recall delete what it already captured?
Not automatically. Turning off the "Save snapshots" toggle stops new snapshots from being taken, but existing ones stay on your device until you separately delete them. The Recall & Snapshots settings page has a distinct "Delete snapshots" option for clearing what's already been saved.
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