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Windows 11’s Recall feature finally rolls out to AMD and Intel Copilot+ PCs – here’s how to try it

A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Recall is now on Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel processors

Previously it was for Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon CPUs only

Bear in mind that the AI search feature is still in early testing at this point

Windows 11’s Recall ability is now available to all Copilot+ PCs – although the feature remains in testing – after it was only launched for Arm-based AI laptops to begin with.

This means those with a Copilot+ PC that has an AMD or Intel processor – as opposed to an Arm-based Snapdragon chip – can now give Recall a spin and see what they think.

Microsoft announced that with build 26120.2510, Copilot+ PCs with AMD and Intel silicon can access both Recall and Click to Do features, which are still in preview, in the Dev test channel.

To give you a swift recap, Recall is the AI-powered search feature that uses regularly taken screenshots (called snapshots) and a natural language search to make it very easy to find things on your PC. As you’ve doubtless noticed, there’s been a lot of controversy around this functionality, which is why Microsoft took it off the drawing board earlier this year, and reshaped a lot of Recall in terms of its privacy and security.

Click to Do is a fresh introduction in testing that provides the ability to perform quick actions with text or images in Recall’s snapshots, so you can easily copy text out of a snapshot, for example, or share an image, with a minimum of fuss. It seems like a useful complementary feature for Recall.

Copilot button

(Image credit: Future)

Analysis: How to try out Recall – but should you take the plunge?

The result of Microsoft’s honing of privacy and security for Recall is a much better implementation of the feature, for sure – though that’s partly due to the low bar set by the initial incarnation of this functionality. Which, frankly, remains a worrying aspect in itself (that Microsoft would even think it was ready for launch back in May).

In early testing, the reaction to Recall has been somewhat mixed, with some Windows Insiders having sung its praises – such as Windows Central, which spotted the deployment of the feature to AMD and Intel devices – but others remain less sure of the value here.

With a feature like this, we’d recommend staying on the sidelines for now, while any potential issues are worked out.

However, if you’re keen to give Recall a whirl, you’ll need to install the test build of Windows 11 from the Dev channel on your Copilot+ PC. Bear firmly in mind that as an early preview build, this is an OS that could go wrong and end up with a reinstallation being needed (a worst-case scenario, admittedly – but one that still has to be considered). So don’t go installing a Windows 11 preview version on your daily driver PC.

If you still fancy taking the plunge, then Microsoft provides full instructions on how to get the necessary Dev channel test build of Windows 11 on your Copilot+ PC in this blog post.

We’ll repeat that guidance here for your convenience – just keep those mentioned caveats in mind, and follow these steps:

To begin with, register for the Windows Insider Program on this website with your Microsoft account or Microsoft Entra ID. This should be the same account you use to sign in to your Copilot+ PC.

After you have registered, go to Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program on your PC and select the Get Started button.

When asked to link an account, choose the account you’re signed into Windows with and be sure that it is the same account you registered for the Windows Insider program.

Choose the Dev Channel and reboot.

After rebooting and signing into your Copilot+ PC, go to Settings > Windows Update and check for updates – build 26120.2510 should be offered.

Your PC will download the update and reboot to finish the update process.