Turn Off Recall in Windows 11: Stop, Delete, or Remove It Completely
Recall is a Windows 11 feature that saves snapshots of your screen so you can search them later. It only exists on Copilot+ PCs and stays off unless you agree to it. Here's how to check for it, stop it saving, delete snapshots, or remove it entirely.
Last updated: October 2026
What is Recall, and is it on my PC?
Recall saves periodic screen snapshots and analyses them on the PC itself, so you can find anything you've seen before. Snapshots stay on your device, encrypted, and only open after you sign in with Windows Hello.
It's built for Copilot+ PCs with a powerful AI processor (NPU). If you don't see a “Recall & snapshots” section in Settings, your PC doesn't support it and there's nothing to turn off.
Stop saving snapshots
- 01
Open Recall settings
Go to Settings, then Privacy & security.
Settings › Privacy & security › Recall & snapshots
- 02
Turn off “Save snapshots”
Your PC stops taking new snapshots right away.
- 03
Delete what's saved
On the same page, delete all snapshots or just a recent period.
Recall & snapshots › Delete snapshots › Delete all
Remove Recall completely
If you don't want the feature at all, remove it from Windows' optional features. All snapshots are deleted with it.
- 04
Open Windows features
Search Start for “Turn Windows features on or off”.
Start › Turn Windows features on or off
- 05
Uncheck “Recall”
Press OK and restart your PC.
For Pro and work PCs: Group Policy
On Windows 11 Pro and above, you can block Recall with a policy users can't change. Open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) and go to:
- User Configuration › Administrative Templates › Windows Components › Windows AI
- Enable “Turn off saving snapshots for use with Recall”.
Does Recall affect games?
Snapshots are taken at intervals and analysed on the AI processor, not the graphics card, so the FPS impact is usually small. Turning it off still frees disk space and gives you peace of mind on privacy.
Questions gamers ask
No. According to Microsoft, snapshots and their analysis stay on your PC, encrypted, and aren't sent to the cloud.
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