Surprise! The most controversial feature of Copilot+, Recall, is making a return. It was meant to be part of the software suite back in June, but got delayed indefinitely after privacy concerns arose around how Recall stored its data. Some people hoped that it would be the last time we ever saw Recall, but Microsoft was quietly updating Recall on the Insider builds even after it was pulled. As such, there was a good chance that Microsoft was planning to bring Recall back in a new, secure form.

Sure enough, that's just what Microsoft did. The company announced that Recall is making a return, coming to the Insider builds this coming October. On top of that, the company took a lot of time to explain why Recall is now worth a second shot, and all the things it did to improve it. However, as I read through its statements, I couldn't help but think that Microsoft should be doing a lot more to encourage people to use Recall.

The new Recall is what Recall should have been on day one

The bridge of first impressions has long since burned down

If you'd like to read Microsoft's statement on the new Recall, you can do so on the Windows Experience Blog. There's a lot to go through, but the main gist is that Microsoft is claiming that it fixed all the security issues that Recall had. It's also claiming that Recall is a lot easier to manage, allowing users to view and delete any stored screenshots, as well as a little notification that will appear every time Recall takes a snapshot.

Sounds good, right? One problem; all that stuff should have been in there from day one. These are all very basic privacy measures that should not have been added as a "new and improved" version of Recall. The last time we saw Recall, it turned itself on by default, snapped images without you knowing, and stored all of your information in plain text. It was so bad for privacy that Microsoft had to recall Recall to get it all right.

Now it's back, and Microsoft has gotten it into the state that it should have been all along. That's not impressive by itself; getting Recall into a secure state is a bare minimum requirement if Microsoft intends for people to use it. The company still has a ways to go before it can repair Recall's reputation.

People aren't convinced that Copilot+ is worth the hassle, let alone Recall

The negatives of Copilot Plus

I'd feel a lot more confident about Microsoft's chances of making Recall a household feature if people were flocking to Copilot+ PCs in droves. But they're really not; people are feeling apathy toward all of the new AI features. And to be honest, I really don't blame them; nothing about Copilot+ PCs gives me the urge to scrap my current one and buy into Microsoft's new AI-powered future.

Our Editor-in-Chief Rich Woods got his mitts on the new Snapdragon Copilot+ PCs back when they launched, and he's been tinkering with them ever since. In an email sent out to XDA newsletters on Sunday, he discusses how his devices are a Snapdragon device first and foremost, and a Copilot+ PC after that:

I've reviewed several Copilot+ PCs, and they're fantastic because of the new Snapdragon X Elite chipset from Qualcomm. Copilot+ adds almost no value. Without [Recall], you're left with fairly lame services like Cocreator and Windows Studio Effects. Live Captions is pretty good, but I wouldn't go out and buy a new PC for it.

If Microsoft wants people to give Recall a second shot, it needs to convince them that Recall is worth getting a Copilot+ PC for. It needs to show us demos of the technology and show how it can enrich our lives and make it easier to get stuff done. While it's at it, it can do the same for the rest of the Copilot+ suite, because right now, people aren't convinced.

With Apple Intelligence on the way, Microsoft needs to up its game - fast

A new rival is on its way

This would be all well and good if Microsoft had unlimited time to get Recall patched up, enhanced, and refined until it was a quality product well worth the time. But it doesn't, because after Microsoft announced (and 'unannounced') its Recall feature, Apple Intelligence came along and promised that it, too, can utilize your device usage to help you better.

Granted, Apple Intelligence is not the de facto winner in this race. While there are reasons to trust Apple Intelligence over Recall, there are also reasons to trust Recall over Apple Intelligence. But it is a competitor to Recall, and if Microsoft wants to come out on top, it cannot afford to stumble at the starting block and take months implementing features that should have been essential to its design.

Recall needs more from Microsoft to take off

With Recall leaving a bad taste in people's mouths, and Apple stepping up to perform its own take on the AI-powered tech, Microsoft needs to really show off why Recall is worth our time, alongside the money required to upgrade to a Copilot+ PC. If it cannot, people will simply not bother with Recall. And given how Copilot+ PCs already feel bare, having a key feature flop in such a way could really damage Microsoft's running in the AI race. It needs to either show us how great Recall is, or leave it on the wayside.