Microsoft (won’t) let you uninstall Recall AI feature on Windows 11

• Microsoft says that the uninstall option for Recall was a bug in version 24H2 and will be fixed in future releases of Windows 11.
• This means that you will be able to disable the feature, but you won’t be able to remove it from the system.
• This also means going to Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows Features, and clearing the “Recall” option won’t do anything.
• You can also use Command Prompt and PowerShell commands to remove the AI feature from the operating system.

UPDATED 9/2/2024: As it turns out, on Windows 11 24H2, you won’t be able to uninstall the Windows Recall feature as Microsoft confirms that the option in the “Turn Windows features on or off” page to remove the Recall appears by mistake due to a bug in the system and it’ll be fixed on upcoming releases.

In a statement to The Verge, Microsoft said: “We are aware of an issue where Recall is incorrectly listed as an option under the “Turn Windows features on or off” dialog in Control Panel,” and then it continued explaining that “this will be fixed in an upcoming update.”

Windows Recall was supported to be this impressive photographic memory feature that takes screenshots of everything you do on the computer every few seconds and then applies AI to analyze the contents to make the data searchable in a timeline-like interface. However, after many security and privacy concerns, the company pulled out the testing preview of the feature from the operating system.

After many weeks, Microsoft recently gave us an update noting that it will resume testing Recall in October 2024, but only with Copilot+ PCs. One thing the company didn’t mention is that it’ll be possible to uninstall Windows Recall from Windows 11 (sort of).

The website Deskmodder spotted that the Windows 11 build 26100.1591 (KB5041865) includes a new entry to uninstall the AI feature from the operating system. However, we know that this was a bug and that the company will fix it.

Since Microsoft confirmed that the Recall was incorrectly added to the Control Panel settings, the instructions below won’t work, but I will leave them for reference. 

• Uninstall Windows Recall AI on Windows 11 24H2
• Uninstall Windows Recall AI from PowerShell
• Uninstall Windows Recall AI from Command Prompt

Uninstall Windows Recall AI on Windows 11 24H2

To uninstall Recall on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Optional features page.

4. Click the “More Windows features” option under the “Related settings” section.

   

   Quick tip: You can also open this page from the Start menu when searching for “Turn Windows features on or off.”

5. Clear the Recall option.

   

6. Click the OK button.

7. Restart the computer (if applicable).

Once you complete the steps, the system will uninstall the Windows Recall components from the operating system. However, the “installation” files will remain on the system if you ever want to reinstall the feature, similar to any other optional features available through the “Windows Features” page.

You can also follow these instructions in my video tutorial on my YouTube channel. (Remember to like and subscribe.)

Uninstall Windows Recall AI from PowerShell

To uninstall Recall with PowerShell commands, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for PowerShell, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to uninstall Recall AI from Windows 11 and press Enter:

   Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall"

   

After you complete the steps, the PowerShell command will remove the feature’s components from the setup.

Uninstall Windows Recall AI from Command Prompt

To remove Windows 11 Recall with Command Prompt, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to remove Recall from your computer and press Enter:

   Dism /online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"Recall"

   

Once you complete the steps, the DISM command through Command Prompt will uninstall the Windows Recall feature from version 24H2.

It’s important to note that the feature isn’t enabled by default. It’s a feature you must enable manually. Once it’s turned on, you can always disable Windows 11 Recall through the Settings app.

Update September 2, 2024: This page has been updated to ensure accuracy and include the latest information.