How to Enable Microsoft Recall for Windows 11

Microsoft Recall is an innovative way to get your search history modernized with the help of AI. Usable only on Copilot devices (those that come with a dedicated NPU separate from the CPU), Recall keeps snapshots of your screen and the AI can systematically crawl through them. After that, you can ask the AI for context clues based on the screenshots and get answers to basic queries.

For example, if you briefly remember searching something online, but not its exact name, the AI can help you find an image based on an approximate date and any information you can give. Since the entire process is done inside the PC, the screenshots are not forwarded online and remain only on the device.

However, to use this feature, you’ll first need to enable Microsoft Recall on your device.

Step 1. Make Sure Your PC Can Run Microsoft Recall

If you don’t have the minimum PC requirements, the option to use Recall on your PC will never come up. Since the feature uses AI through an NPU, it’s highly unlikely that it becomes backward compatible with older PCs. Here’s a basic list of requirements you must meet:

• A Copilot PC that meets the Secured-core standard
• NPU (neural processing unit) with 40 TOPs
• 16 GB RAM
• 8 logical processors
• 256 GB of storage with at least 50 GB free

The biggest bottleneck here is the NPU, as you’ll need one to make the feature work. To check if you have it, you can enter Task Manager (available by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting it), and go to “Performance.”

If you have an entry named NPU on the list (typically immediately above GPU, as they’re usually packed together), then you might be able to enable Microsoft Recall.

Otherwise, you’ll need to get a brand-new high-end laptop, as they are currently the only reliable source of NPUs until hardware manufacturers start rolling out dedicated hardware for desktop PCs.

Step 2. Update Your Windows

If you’re sure you meet the minimum requirements for Microsoft Recall, you should update your operating system.

You can do that by going to Settings and the “Windows Update” tab on the bottom.

If your Windows is running an older version, you’ll be prompted to download and install an update.

Once the update is installed, you’ll get a notification to restart the device. Follow the on-screen instructions to update the PC.

Step 3. Enable Microsoft Recall

Once you’ve completed the setup, all you have to do is go to your Settings. From there, choose the “Recall & snapshots” menu item from the list. If you don’t see it, recheck that you meet the requirements.

After that, toggle the “Save snapshots” option “ON,” and this will enable Microsoft Recall on your device. To disable the feature, toggle the option “OFF.”

Step 4. Using Recall

With the “installation” complete, you’ll get a new Recall taskbar icon in the bottom-right corner, which you can use to launch the feature.

Recall will separate your entire history of using the device (after it was enabled) into chunks of activity, which you can review through the timeline tab on the top. You can use the timeline to snap back to a point in time and get the closest snapshot to that moment. Alternatively, you can use the search bar to enter keywords and let the AI start searching for results.

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