4 Quick ways to permanently disable Windows Recall on Windows 11

• To disable Recall on Windows 11, open Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots and turn off the “Save snapshots” toggle switch.
• It’s also possible to disable Windows Recall AI through the Registry, Group Policy Editor, or by using the option to reset the feature.

UPDATED 8/27/2025: On Windows 11, you can disable the Windows Recall feature completely in at least four ways, and in this guide, I will show you how. Recall is designed to function as a photographic memory, powered by a local AI model, making it easier to locate past activities, including documents, websites, messages, images, and apps.

However, the feature has raised major privacy and security concerns. Recall automatically takes snapshots of your screen at regular intervals (around every five seconds), which can capture sensitive information, such as private conversations, financial details, or personal images. While Microsoft has implemented filters to block passwords, PINs, and credit card details from being saved, many users still feel this is not enough.

Beyond privacy concerns, there are also concerns about system resources and battery life. Although the feature relies on the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to minimize performance impact, some users prefer not to have constant background activity.

Trust is another issue. Even though Recall runs locally and data isn’t uploaded to Microsoft’s servers, skepticism remains about whether the company could use or access this data in the future.

Related

Completely uninstall Recall feature on Windows 11 (3 ways)

In response to feedback, Microsoft has updated Windows Recall with stronger privacy defaults, including:

• Opt-in setup – Recall is not enabled automatically, and users must turn it on manually.
• Local encryption – Snapshots are encrypted and accessible only after user authentication.
• Content filtering – Additional sensitive data types are now excluded from snapshots.
• Activity controls – Quick controls on the Taskbar allow you to pause or clear history.

Despite these changes, many users will still prefer to turn Recall off entirely. Fortunately, Windows 11 offers several methods to disable it, through the Settings app, Taskbar controls, Group Policy, Registry, or by resetting the feature.

In this guide, I will outline the steps to completely disable the Recall feature on Windows 11.

• Disable Recall using the Snapshot settings on Windows 11
• Disable Recall using the Reset option on Windows 11
• Disable Recall using the Registry on Windows 11
• Disable Recall using the Group Policy Editor on Windows 11

Disable Recall using the Snapshots settings on Windows 11

To disable Recall on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Privacy & security.

3. Click the Recall & snapshots page.

   

4. Turn off the “Save snapshots” toggle switch.

   

5. (Optional) Click the Delete snapshots setting.

6. Click the Delete all button for the “Delete all snapshots” setting.

   

Once you complete the steps, the Recall feature will be disabled and will no longer take snapshots of every activity.

If you only want to turn the feature off temporarily, click the “Recall” icon in the Taskbar and select the “Pause until tomorrow” option.

After you complete the steps, the AI timeline will temporarily pause taking snapshots until you turn the feature back on.

To enable Recall again, follow the same instructions, but in step 4, turn on the toggle switch.

Disable Recall using the Reset option on Windows 11

To reset and disable the Windows Recall feature, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Privacy & security.

3. Click the Recall & snapshots page.

   

4. Click on Advanced settings.

   

5. Click the Reset Recall button.

   

6. Click the Reset button.

After completing these steps, Windows 11 will delete all collected snapshots, filters for apps and websites, and restore all settings, permanently disabling the feature.

Disable Recall using the Registry on Windows 11

If you have a device running Windows 11 Home, you won’t have access to the Group Policy Editor, but you can also disable Windows Recall through the Registry by modifying the “WindowsAI” key.

To disable Windows 11 Recall through the Registry, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

3. Browse to the following path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows

4. Right-click the Windows key, select the New menu, and choose the “Key” option.

5. Confirm the WindowsAI name and press Enter.

6. Right-click the WindowsAI key, select the New menu, and choose the “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.

   

7. Name the key AllowRecallEnablement and press Enter.

8. Double-click the newly created key and make sure the value is 0.

   

9. Click the OK button.

10. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the photographic memory feature will no longer be operational on your Copilot+ PC and for all users. This process will also delete all the Recall components from the computer. If the feature was previously configured, changing the Registry keys will also delete the snapshots already stored on the computer.

Alternatively, you can also apply these changes using Command Prompt (admin) with these commands:

• reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI" /v AllowRecallEnablement /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

You can also undo the changes with this command:

• reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI" /f

After running each of the commands, you’ll have to restart the computer to apply the changes.

Disable Recall using the Group Policy Editor on Windows 11

If you have a device running Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can disable the Recall feature from the Group Policy Editor. This option isn’t available on Windows 11 Home.

To disable Windows Recall through Group Policy, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

3. Browse the following path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows AI 

4. Right-click the “Allow Recall to be enabled” policy and choose the Edit option.

   

5. Check the Disabled option.

   

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the Recall feature should no longer run on your computer, and the components will be removed from it. If the feature was previously configured, changing the policy state will also delete the snapshots already stored on the computer. You will also need to restart the computer to complete the process.

FAQs about Windows Recall

If you still have questions about the Windows Recall, the following FAQs will help clarify the most common questions and provide answers to assist you in understanding and managing the feature.

Is Windows Recall enabled by default?

No. Recall is opt-in during setup. You must manually turn it on, and you can later disable it at any time.

Does disabling Windows Recall affect other Windows 11 features?

No. Turning off Recall only disables its snapshot and activity tracking. Your other Windows features, apps, and Copilot functions will continue to work normally.

Does Windows Recall impact performance or battery life?

Microsoft states that Recall utilizes the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) to minimize resource usage, so the impact should be minimal. However, some users prefer to disable it to avoid constant background activity.

Is my Recall data sent to Microsoft?

No. Microsoft states that Recall snapshots are stored locally on your device, encrypted, and accessible only after you authenticate. Still, many users remain skeptical.

What are the requirements to use Windows Recall in Windows 11?

Windows Recall requires a Copilot+ PC with a supported Neural Processing Unit (NPU), at least 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. It also requires Windows 11 version 24H2 or later.

Does Recall work on older PCs without an NPU?

No. Recall is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs with ARM-based, Intel, and AMD processors and an NPU capable of at least 40+ TOPS (trillion operations per second). Traditional Intel and AMD systems without an NPU don’t support Recall.

Do I need to be connected to the internet to use Recall?

No. Recall works entirely offline. Snapshots are stored and processed locally, and Microsoft says they are not uploaded to the cloud.

Why are you disabling Windows Recall on your Copilot+ PC? Let me know in the comments.

Update August 27, 2025: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.