Microsoft Rolls Out Recall and AI Features for Copilot+ PCs
After months of privacy review and analyst feedback, Microsoft on Friday activated Recall, the headline capability of its Copilot+ PCs initiative, along with AI-driven search enhancements and click-to-do tools for compatible Windows 11 devices.
Microsoft corporate vice president Navjot Virk outlined the rollout in a company blog post, noting that Copilot+ PCs first appeared in May 2024 and that the new AI features are now broadly available. 'Windows has always been the place where computing innovation happens first,' Virk wrote. 'This continues today with the general availability of exclusive AI experiences like Recall (preview), Click To Do (preview) and improved Windows Search across Copilot+ PCs.'
Recall, delivered as an opt-in preview, captures periodic screen snapshots to help users trace prior on-screen activity. Click-to-do, also in preview, offers AI-assisted text actions including summary, grammar correction, rewriting and simple image edits. The search update introduces context-aware results, aimed at making file discovery more efficient on Windows 11 machines.
All Copilot+ PC models powered by Snapdragon, Intel or AMD chips can access the new AI functions; however, the text-action element of click-to-do remains limited to Snapdragon-based systems. European users will gain access later this year, Microsoft said.
Copilot+ PCs debuted last May at a starting price of $999. As of January 2025, they accounted for about 15 percent of all premium Windows 11 PCs sold, with current prices starting at $599. The product lineup spans processor families from Qualcomm, Intel and AMD.
Microsoft highlights performance gains over competitor hardware: Copilot+ devices run 13 percent faster than the MacBook Air M4 and deliver up to five times the throughput of a five-year-old Windows PC. Battery tests show as much as 22 hours of video playback or 15 hours of web browsing on a single charge.
Owners of Copilot+ PCs can obtain the April 2025 non-security preview update for Windows 11 to enable Recall and click-to-do features. The update also includes the search improvements. Corporate customers and individual users enrolled in the Windows Insider program can download the build today; general consumer release is expected in the coming weeks.
Recall requires explicit consent and stores snapshots locally. Microsoft says users can disable or remove it at any time. Click-to-do leverages on-device AI models to process text and images without sending data to the cloud. The enhanced search engine uses indexing and natural-language processing to surface relevant documents, emails and settings.
By integrating these AI components, Microsoft aims to align Windows 11 PCs with current workflows, letting users revisit past tasks, generate and refine text, and locate files more quickly. The company plans further AI updates for Copilot+ PCs in future Windows 11 releases.
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