Microsoft Clarifies Recall Uninstall Option in Windows 11 as a Bug

Key Takeaways

The option to uninstall the Recall feature in Windows 11 was just a bug.

Microsoft might eventually need to let users uninstall Recall.

The Recall feature will be available to Windows Insider Program users in October.

Microsoft recently rolled out an optional update, KB5041865, for the latest 24H2 version of Windows 11, where users noticed a new "Recall" feature listed under the "Turn Windows features on or off" section of the Control Panel. This sparked rumors that Microsoft might allow users to uninstall this Recall feature from their devices.

However, Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Product Manager at Microsoft, clarified in a statement to The Verge that the uninstall option showing up was just a bug and will be corrected in a future update.

The idea that Microsoft would offer an option to uninstall Recall seemed odd from the beginning, especially since not everyone saw the option in their Control Panel, and it wasn’t part of any Windows Canary builds.

There is, however, a chance that Microsoft might need to provide an uninstall option for Recall in the European Union to comply with the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). Microsoft already offers a way to uninstall certain features, like Microsoft Edge, in the European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

Looking ahead, Microsoft plans to introduce the Recall feature to Windows Insider Program members in October, with a broader rollout to Copilot+ PCs expected early next year.