- To enable Recall on Windows 11, open Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots and turn on “Save snapshots.”
UPDATED 6/4/2024: On Windows 11 24H2, Recall comes enabled by default on compatible devices, but if the feature isn’t available in the Taskbar, you can turn it on manually, and in this guide, I will show you how to complete this task.
What is Recall?
Recall (formerly “AI Explorer”) is an AI feature that works like photographic memory. It records everything you have done on your computer through snapshots and turns the data into searchable moments that you can search using natural language. You can also use the Timeline option to scroll back to a specific time to find a particular activity, such as a website, conversation, application, etc.
What are Recall requirements?
If you want to enable Recall, the computer must be running Windows 11 24H2 (or a higher release) and meet the hardware requirements to be a Copilot Plus PC, which includes:
- CPU: Snapdragon X or equivalent processor.
- NPU: Neural Processing Unit with 40 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second).
- Memory: 16GB (minimum).
- Storage: 256GB of SSD (minimum).
In this guide, I will teach you the steps to enable the Recall feature on Windows 11 24H2 or higher releases.
Enable Recall on Windows 11
To enable the Recall feature on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on Privacy & security.
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Click the Recall & snapshots page.
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Turn on the “Save snapshots” toggle switch.
Once you complete the steps, the Recall button will appear in the System Tray and the Taskbar, and the feature will run in the background to track your activities and make them searchable.
You can always click the “Recall” button from the System Tray to pause the feature or open the app to search for any activity.
If you want to disable Recall, use the same instructions, but in step 4, turn off the toggle switch.
It’s important to note that Recall works with an AI model that runs locally on the device (also referred to as “Edge Computing”), so snapshots are processed inside the computer and don’t get uploaded to the cloud, meaning that everything stays private on your computer.
If you don’t have the “Recall” button in the Taskbar or the settings page, your computer isn’t running the latest version of Windows 11, which in this case is version 24H2 or higher, or it’s not compatible.
Microsoft will ship “Recall” enabled by default on devices with Snapdragon X Series processors. However, compatible computers with other supported processors will be required to upgrade to version 24H2 to run the AI timeline feature.
The Recall feature is expected to be available starting June 18, 2024, when manufacturers begin shipping their new Copilot Plus PCs.
Update June 4, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].