Microsoft's New Feature Recall Faces Headwinds Before Launch as Developers Block It One After Another

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. What is Recall? The Convenience and the Risks

3. Brave's Decision for a "Blanket Block"

4. AdGuard's Participation and Message

5. The "Defense Line" Pioneered by Signal

6. Voices of Support and Concern Swirling on Social Media

7. Microsoft's Response and Future Directions

8. Post-Interview Notes: The Battle Over "Default Settings" in the AI Era

1. Introduction

On July 25, the US-based The Verge reported that the browser "Brave" and the ad blocker "AdGuard" will block the screen snapshot feature of Windows 11's AI function "Recall" by default. Following the measures taken by Signal in May, a "coalition" of privacy-focused apps is forming. The Verge

2. What is Recall? The Convenience and the Risks

Recall is an AI search feature planned for Copilot + PC. It captures the entire PC screen every few seconds and saves it to a local database. By searching in natural language, you can instantly retrieve even a "PDF viewed weeks ago." However, the fact that it could potentially record inputted credit card numbers and private chats has been pointed out by experts as a "security disaster." The VergeThe Verge

3. Brave's Decision for a "Blanket Block"

In Brave 1.81 (Windows version), all tabs are declared as “always private,” making browsing content completely invisible to Recall. While it is possible to enable it by toggling the settings, the default is off. Brave emphasizes that "this default is the shortest route to protect users," highlighting that it does not compromise convenience compared to Signal's DRM flag method. Brave

4. AdGuard's Participation and Message

AdGuard for Windows v7.21 added "Tracking Protection › Disable Windows Recall." It strongly criticized the very idea of "taking screenshots in the background" as creepy and dismissed Microsoft's explanation of PIN protection and local storage as "full of loopholes." AdGuard

5. The "Defense Line" Pioneered by Signal

The first to act was the encrypted messenger Signal. In May, it countered with a bold move by setting a DRM flag in its Windows app, completely prohibiting not only Recall but also regular screenshots. It criticized Microsoft's design for not giving developers fine control. Brave has implemented a more detailed blocking method while "partially referencing" this approach. The Verge

6. Voices of Support and Concern Swirling on Social Media

• Supporters

  • "Applause for #BraveBrowser's quick decision. Even with opt-in, accidents can happen" (Privacy influencer)Lifewire

  • "Seems like AdGuard has joined too. Now it's the 'Recall Killer Three Musketeers'" (from an overseas Reddit thread)techweez.com

• Concerned Voices

  • "Recall is locally stored and requires fingerprint authentication. Is such a reaction excessive?" (Windows YouTuber)Windows Central

  • "In a workplace PC, administrators might enable the feature. Ultimately, end-users might not be able to prevent it?" (IT administrator on X)

7. Microsoft's Response and Future Directions

In response to public backlash, Microsoft switched Recall to be “off by default” and promised improvements in Windows Hello authentication and filtering accuracy, although the full release date remains undecided. Despite being in the preview stage, the declaration of blocking by major apps has made the "no" from the ecosystem side visible. If things continue this way, there is a UX risk of “limited usable apps” at the time of release. The Verge

8. Post-Interview Notes: The Battle Over "Default Settings" in the AI Era

Recall itself presents an attractive vision as an “AI that extends one's memory.” However, even a slight glimpse of privacy invasion risk leads users and developers to immediately "reject the default" in this era. To truly bring Microsoft's “responsible AI” to the streets, it is necessary to first establish a permission model with high transparency and granularity rather than simply adding features—this incident leaves such a lesson.