Controversial Windows Recall feature to launch later this year via the Windows Insider Program

Laptops with Windows Copilot+ will no longer launch with Microsoft's controversial Recall feature. An update on Microsoft's blog post says the company will offer it to participants of the Windows Insiders Program instead. In essence, there's no word about when Recall will be usable, but the company promises to divulge more information when it happens.

Recall (rightfully) received a ton of backlash online, with Elon Musk likening it to a Black Mirror episode. Microsoft then added a few requirements (Windows Hello, encrypted screenshots) and made it an opt-in feature instead of opt-out. While this is a step in the right direction, the feature needs a lot more time in the oven, and that could explain why Microsoft decided to sit on it for a while.

Intrepid users who want to give Recall a spin will need laptops with Copilot+ certification, meaning it'll require a brand new AMD Strix Point, Intel Lunar Lake, but not the Snapdragon X series for some reason. This effectively alienates desktop users because modern-day processors don't have an NPU at all. Even the current-gen Ryzen 9000 launched without it and Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake lineup is likely to follow suit.