Quick answer
Recall only exists on Copilot+ PCs and is off until you opt in. To turn it off, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots and switch Save snapshots to Off. To erase what was saved, expand Delete snapshots on the same page and select Delete all. To remove the feature, open Turn Windows features on or off, uncheck Recall and restart.
Easy 5 to 10 min
Works on Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs
| Time | 5 to 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Works on | Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs |
| You need | Windows Hello sign-in (face, fingerprint or PIN) to confirm each change |
| Reviewed | November 2026 |
Does my PC have Windows Recall?
Your PC has Recall only if it is a Copilot+ PC. Microsoft's Recall page lists the minimum as a Copilot+ PC that meets the Secured-core standard, with a 40 TOPS neural processing unit, 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. As of November 2026 Microsoft still labels Recall a preview.
Two more conditions apply before Recall can save anything. Microsoft says you need at least 50 GB of free storage to enable it, and you must be enrolled in Windows Hello with at least one biometric sign-in option. If you are unsure what an NPU is or whether your laptop has one, the guide to NPU laptops explained covers it.
How do I check whether Recall is saving snapshots?
Open Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots and look at the Save snapshots toggle. If that page does not exist, your PC does not have Recall. Microsoft says Recall is opt in: for each user it is off by default and no snapshots are saved unless that person chose to turn it on.
Step 1: Open the Recall settings page
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots. You will be asked to confirm it is you with Windows Hello.
Step 2: Read the Save snapshots toggle
On means snapshots are being saved for your account. Off means they are not.
Step 3: Look at the system tray
Microsoft says a Recall icon sits in the system tray while snapshots are being saved, and that the icon is absent when Save snapshots is set to Off.
Step 4: Check each account
If several people sign in on the laptop, each account makes its own choice. Repeat the check when signed in as each person.
How do I turn off Recall snapshots?
To turn Recall snapshots off, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots and move the Save snapshots toggle to Off. Windows asks for your Windows Hello sign-in before it accepts the change. From that point no new snapshots are saved for your account until you switch it back on.
If you only want a break, Microsoft's page describes a pause: select the Recall icon in the system tray and select Pause until tomorrow. Snapshots then resume on their own at 12:00 AM, so use the Save snapshots toggle if you want them to stay off.
How do I delete Recall snapshots?
To delete Recall snapshots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots, expand Delete snapshots and select Delete all. You can instead pick a timeframe from the drop-down list, which offers the past hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days, and then select Delete snapshots.
| Control | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Save snapshots | Settings > Privacy and security > Recall and snapshots | Starts or stops saving snapshots for your account |
| Pause until tomorrow | Recall icon in the system tray | Pauses saving until 12:00 AM |
| Delete snapshots | Recall and snapshots page | Deletes all snapshots, or those from the past hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days |
| Maximum storage for snapshots | Storage section of the same page | Caps the disk space used; the oldest snapshots are deleted first at the limit |
| Maximum storage duration | Same page | Deletes snapshots older than 30, 60, 90 or 180 days, or keeps them with no age limit |
| Apps to filter, Websites to filter | Same page | Keeps chosen apps and sites out of snapshots |
| Recall feature | Turn Windows features on or off | Removes Recall and deletes saved snapshots |
Microsoft's storage page says the default cap depends on the drive: 25 GB on a 256 GB device, 75 GB on a 512 GB device and 150 GB on a device with 1 TB or more. You can also delete a single snapshot from Recall's search results by selecting the three dots on it and choosing Delete.
How do I remove Recall from Windows 11?
To remove Recall completely, type Turn Windows features on or off in the search box on your taskbar, uncheck Recall in the dialog and restart your PC. Microsoft states that any snapshots that were previously saved are deleted when Recall is removed. To bring it back, tick the same box and restart.
Step 5: Open Windows features
Type Turn Windows features on or off in the taskbar search box and open the result.
Step 6: Uncheck Recall
Find Recall in the list and clear its checkbox.
Step 7: Restart
Restart the PC to finish. Saved snapshots are deleted as part of the removal.
How do I keep certain apps and websites out of Recall?
If you keep Recall, you can filter apps and websites so they are never saved. On the Recall and snapshots page, select Add app next to Apps to filter and choose the app, or select Add website next to Websites to filter and type the address. Sensitive information filtering is on by default.
Filtering has limits that Microsoft spells out. Website filtering works only in supported browsers: Edge, Firefox, Opera and Chrome. Private browsing windows in those browsers are not saved. A filtered site can still show up through embedded content, the browser history or a tab that is not in the foreground. Filtering also does nothing to stop your browser, internet provider or the website itself from knowing you visited.
What changes on a work or school PC?
On a managed work or school PC, Recall is usually not there. Microsoft's admin page says Recall is disabled and removed on managed devices by default, and that users cannot enable it themselves unless IT allows it. Even then, admins cannot start saving snapshots for you: each user still has to opt in.
Recall is one of several AI features on a new Windows laptop. For the others, see how to turn off Copilot in Windows 11 and the full list in every AI switch on a laptop. If you would prefer an assistant that never leaves the machine, read running an AI writing assistant offline, or browse the how-to hub.
Related reading
Common questions
Is Windows Recall on by default?
No. Microsoft says that for each new user Recall is opt in: if you do not choose to turn it on, it is off and no snapshots are saved. You opt in either during Recall's setup or by switching Save snapshots to On in Settings.
Does Recall send my screenshots to Microsoft?
Microsoft's privacy page says snapshots are stored and analysed locally on the device, are encrypted, and are not shared with Microsoft or third parties or with other users of the same PC. It adds that some diagnostic data may be sent based on your privacy settings.
Does turning off Recall delete my snapshots?
Not by itself. Switching Save snapshots to Off only stops new ones. Use Delete snapshots > Delete all on the same settings page to erase what exists, or remove the Recall feature, which Microsoft says deletes previously saved snapshots.
Does Recall record audio or video?
Microsoft says Recall does not record audio or save continuous video. When you opt in, it saves a snapshot of your active screen every few seconds and when the content of the active window changes. It also does not store content protected by digital rights management.
Why can't I find Recall in my settings?
The Recall and snapshots page appears only on Copilot+ PCs. On other laptops there is nothing to turn off. On a work or school PC it can also be missing because Microsoft removes Recall from managed devices by default until IT allows it.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Privacy and control over your Recall experience
Recall is opt in per user, the Save snapshots path, local storage and filtering limits.
- Microsoft Support: Manage your Recall snapshots and disk space
Delete snapshots options, storage caps by drive size and storage duration choices.
- Microsoft Support: Retrace your steps with Recall
System requirements, the pause option and removing Recall through Turn Windows features on or off.
- Microsoft Learn: Manage Recall
Recall is disabled and removed by default on managed devices and admins cannot opt users in.
In this section
Marcus Hale, Editor. Sets up, fixes and chooses laptops for other people, then writes down what worked. About the editor. About this site. Reviewed November 2026.