How to Exclude Websites in Windows 11 Recall Snapshots

This article explains how to exclude a website from Recall snapshots in Windows 11.

Recall & Snapshots is an AI feature in Windows 11 that functions like a photographic memory by saving snapshots of your screen. You can then use the Recall feature to quickly search your snapshots and find things you’ve seen on your PC.

The snapshots, copies of your PC’s current state, are securely stored on your PC. Windows sets a maximum storage size for these snapshots, which you can change anytime. Once that maximum is reached, the oldest snapshots are deleted automatically.

You can manually delete Recall snapshots from a specific timeframe or delete all snapshots stored on a Windows device if you run out of space.

With Recall and snapshots, you are in control. You can select which apps and websites you want to exclude from being saved as snapshots. To filter out websites and private browsing activity, you’ll need to use Microsoft Edge or Chromium-based browsers for Recall.

Supported browsers and their capabilities include:

• Microsoft Edge: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity
• Firefox: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity
• Opera: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity
• Google Chrome: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity
• Chromium based browsers: For Chromium-based browsers not listed above, filters private browsing activity only, doesn’t block specific websites

Filter out websites from Recall and snapshots in Windows

As mentioned above, users can filter out websites and private browsing activity from Recall and snapshots in Windows.

Notes: 

• Filtering out specific websites will only work in supported browsers such as Microsoft Edge or other Chromium-based browsers. You always have the option to filter out all browsing activity by adding an app filter for a browser.
• Recall won’t save any content from your private browsing activity when you’re using Microsoft Edge or other Chromium-based browsers.
• To help you access text and images currently on your screen, when you launch Recall or when you select the Now button, your current screen will be displayed in Recall without saving a new snapshot

Here’s how to do it.

First, open the Windows Settings app.

You can do that by clicking on the Start menu and selecting Settings. Or press the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + I) to launch the Settings app.

When the Setting app opens, click the Privacy & security button on the left.

On the right, click the Recall & snapshots page to open its settings and turn on the “Save snapshots” feature.

Next, click the Add website button under the “Filter lists” section, confirm the website domain you want to exclude, and click the Add button.

Type the website you want to filter into the text box. Select Add to add it to the websites to filter list.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Filtering out websites from being saved as snapshots in Windows 11 can help you maintain privacy and control over your Recall experience.
• Using the “Filter lists” feature in Recall & snapshots settings, you can easily exclude specific websites from being captured as snapshots on your PC.
• This level of control allows you to manage the content Recall saves, ensuring that sensitive information or private browsing activity is not stored in the snapshots.