How to Uninstall or Reinstall Recall on Windows 11

What is Recall?

Recall is a Windows 11 feature that takes screenshots of your screen every few seconds to help you remember what you’ve seen.

How to Turn Recall On or Off in Settings

Managing privacy preferences and screen captures happens directly inside the main Settings app ⚙️.

1. Click the Start button ⊞ and open Settings ⚙️.
2. Go to Privacy & security.
3. Find and click on Recall & snapshots.
4. Toggle the switch to turn snapshots on or off.

Alternative methods exist too, like pausing snapshots temporarily, excluding certain apps, or deleting all snapshots.

Recall is Now a Windows Feature You Can Add or Remove

A recent Windows update 🔃 (KB5041865 Windows 11 build 26100.1591) allows adding or removing Recall as an optional component. Removing it completely grants total control over privacy.

How to Add or Remove Recall Using Windows Features

Removing the Microsoft Recall feature halts background data collection and grants greater authority over active system operations.

1. Press Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run box.
2. Type OptionalFeatures.exe and press Enter. This opens the Windows Features window.
3. Scroll down the list until you find Recall.
4. Check the box to add (turn on) Recall. Or uncheck it to remove (turn off) Recall.
5. Click OK to save your changes.

Windows applies these modifications automatically. A system restart might be requested. Following a reboot, the Recall feature status updates to match your configuration choice.

How to Uninstall or Reinstall Recall Using Commands

Command-line utilities within Windows Terminal provide a fast method for uninstalling or reinstalling Recall. This approach ensures precise administrative control.

⚠️ Admin privileges required

Steps:

1. Open Windows Terminal as an administrator. To do this, right-click the Start button and choose Windows Terminal (Admin).
2. In Windows Terminal, open a PowerShell or Command Prompt tab.
3. To install (enable) Recall, type this command and press Enter:
   
   DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:"Recall"
4. To uninstall (disable) Recall, type this command and press Enter:
   
   DISM /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"Recall"

PowerShell commands offer another viable method:

To enable Recall:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall"

To disable Recall:

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall"

Rebooting the computer after executing these commands guarantees the modifications apply correctly.

Summary

• Recall is a Windows 11 feature that takes snapshots of your screen every few seconds.
• You can control Recall to protect your privacy by turning it off or uninstalling it.
• Turn Recall on or off from Settings under Privacy & security.
• You can add or remove Recall from Windows Features or by using commands in Windows Terminal.
• Restart your PC after making changes to ensure everything works properly.
• By managing Recall the way you want, you keep your computer privacy exactly how you like it.