Microsoft Brings Back AI Screenshot Tool That Watches Your Screen Every Few Seconds

Microsoft is giving its most controversial AI feature a second chance. After pausing the rollout last year due to intense backlash, the tech giant has quietly relaunched Copilot+ Recall—a tool that uses artificial intelligence to take screenshots of your screen every few seconds, capturing everything from websites to messages.

The feature, now available in preview mode for selected AI-powered PCs and laptops, is rolling out through Microsoft’s Windows Insider software testing programme. But this time, the company is trying to tread more carefully.

What Exactly Is Copilot Recall?

Think of Copilot Recall as a digital time machine. It passively captures snapshots of your computer screen so users can scroll back through their history—like revisiting a website, photo, or email they viewed days ago. Microsoft pitches it as a tool that helps users "recall" where they saw that one thing they can’t quite remember.

Need to find that dress you saw online two days ago? Recall’s AI can show you the moment it appeared on screen.

But privacy experts still aren’t convinced.

"A Privacy Nightmare" With a New Coat of Paint?

“Information about other people, who cannot consent, will be captured and processed through Recall,” said Dr. Kris Shrishak, a privacy advocate who previously labeled the tool a “privacy nightmare.”

Shrishak raised concerns that the tool’s ability to capture WhatsApp messages, emails, and even disappearing messages from apps like Signal poses serious privacy risks—not just to the device owner, but to anyone they communicate with.

“Think of disappearing messages on Signal that is stored on Recall forever,” he warned, noting that malicious actors could exploit this data if they gain access to the device.