Windows Recall hardware requirements (2025)

• Windows Recall is only available for Copilot+ PCs.
• Older PCs without an NPU won’t be able to run the Recall AI feature.
• It’s unclear when the AI feature will be officially available for compatible hardware.

UPDATED 1/2/2025: Windows Recall is perhaps one of the biggest new features in Windows 11 24H2, but there appears to be some confusion about which computers will be getting the photographic memory-like feature.

I’ve been getting many questions about whether the current system will support the AI feature from those who want to use it. However, I’ve also been asked whether version 24H2 will install and enable Windows Recall automatically, as many people have privacy concerns about the feature.

In this guide, I’ll explain which devices are getting the new Recall AI features and which ones won’t after installing Windows 11 24H2.

Windows Recall requirements for Copilot+ PC

The Recall AI feature is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs, which Microsoft defines as a new computer category with these hardware requirements:

• Processor:  ARM or x86 CPU with NPU (40 TOPS).
• Memory: 16GB or more.
• Storage: 256GB of SSD or more.
• Security: TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0.

In addition, if you want to turn on Windows Recall, you will have to enable encryption with BitLocker or Device Encryption for Windows 11 Pro and Home. This feature will require virtualization-based security and hypervisor-enforced code integrity (Memory integrity) as well as measured boots, system guard secure launches, and Kernel DMA Protection.

As part of the supported processors, Recall will be available for the Qualcomm Snapdragon X series, AMD Ryzen AI 300 (up to 50 TOPS), and Intel Core Ultra 200v series (up to 120 TOPS).

TOPS stands for “Tera Operations Per Second,” and it’s a metric used to measure the performance of Neural Processing Units (NPUs). It essentially tells you how many trillion mathematical operations an NPU can perform in a single second.

The first wave of the Copilot+ PCs has been available since June 18, 2024, some of which include:

• Surface Pro (11th Edition).
• Surface Laptop (7th Edition).
• Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge.
• DELL Inspiron 14 Plus.
• DELL XPS 13.
• Acer Swift 14 AI.
• Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x.
• ASUS Vivobook S 15.
• HP OmniBook X 14.

Older PCs won’t get Windows Recall

Initially, many AI features, including Windows Recall, arriving in Windows 11 24H2, will be exclusively available on Copilot+ PCs. This means existing devices running older Windows 11 versions will not gain access to these AI features after upgrading to 24H2.

It’s crucial to understand that there’s currently no upgrade path to convert an existing PC into a Copilot+ PC. Acquiring a new Copilot+ device is necessary to utilize these advanced AI capabilities.

If you’re considering getting a new laptop soon and have concerns about Windows Recall due to privacy and security discussions, remember that it’s an optional feature disabled by default.

While Windows 11 might prompt you to set it up, you have full control over its activation. You can manually enable Windows Recall within the Settings app.

When enabled, the Recall icon will appear in the system tray of the taskbar, providing a clear visual indicator of its active status. This approach aligns with how your phone signals active camera usage with a green dot on the screen.

In the rare case that the feature has been enabled, you can disable Windows Recall with these instructions. Microsoft is even adding the ability to uninstall Recall from Windows 11 completely.

Windows Recall release date (preview)

After postponing the rollout several times, the company is running testing Windows Recall in the Dev Channel of the Windows Insider Program for Copilot+ PCs equipped with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Series processors as well as devices with AMD and Intel processors with NPUs capable of 40+ TOPS.

Update December 27, 2024: This page has been updated to ensure accuracy and include the latest information.