The truth about Microsoft's PC-tracking plans

Plus some essential PC privacy tips  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Windows Intelligence](#) [Windows Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: [Esper logo]()​ Hello again! It's been a refreshing week in the PC space. Last week was frantic and full of announcements, but this week is more relaxed. The big announcements are behind us and we're now digging through what they actually mean. Case in point: Recall. Microsoft's plan to take screenshots of your PC every five seconds so you can search through a "photographic memory" got the company a lot of press. There are a lot of clickbait stories out there, but as usual, things aren't as simple as some of the headlines make them appear. I'll answer a list of questions about what exactly is going on with Recall. For example: Recall is not coming to your current PC. It's only for future PCs. And it's optional. Now let's get to it. [Chris Hoffman, AUthor] Chris Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ Top Thurrott Thoughts: 30 seconds ⌚ Just for Fun: 25 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] ​ 1. Recall will track your future PC usage — if you want ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft's new Recall feature will take screenshots of a PC's display every five seconds and let you search what you've seen on your PC with AI. But it's not as threatening as it may sound — and it's not coming to your current PC. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The Recall feature will only be available on new "Copilot+ PCs," so it won't arrive on your current PC with an update. - The Recall feature is completely optional and you'll be able to choose whether to use it and what it captures, even if you do buy a new Copilot+ PC. - Recall works entirely offline and only stores your data on your PC. The plain-language AI search of your screenshots also happens entirely on a Copilot+ PC — your data is never sent over the internet. - Still, there are some risks — especially if someone else has access to your unlocked PC. Everyone will need to consider the trade-offs before activating it. 📌 READ MORE: Get [answers to all your Recall privacy questions]() in my latest Computerworld column. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. PCs are getting Android powered photo-text-copying ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: The Windows Phone Link app will soon let you copy text straight from photos on an Android phone and paste it into another application on your Windows PC. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Phone Link lets you access your Android phone's photos in a window on your PC. Soon, you'll be able to copy text from within photos in the Phone Link app — without moving them to your PC or using the Snipping Tool. - This is similar to the optical character recognition feature Microsoft added to Windows 11's Snipping Tool. But it's nicely integrated in the Phone Link tool's Android photo library. - It's for Android users only: Once again, Apple's iPhones don't offer a good way for the Phone Link tool to access their photo libraries. - This feature is already live in an Insider build of the Phone Link tool, so it should arrive soon enough. 📌 READ MORE: Take a look at [this convenient new feature](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Microsoft is trying to make Edge faster ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Microsoft's Edge browser has become cluttered and a little slow over time. Now, Microsoft is working on giving Edge's interface a much-appreciated speedup. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Edge was originally designed to be a speedy, minimal web browser. It's hard to believe that Edge was once codenamed "Spartan" because it was so stripped down — now, you open Edge and there's a sidebar with a button that opens MSN games pinned to your browser window. - Microsoft's Edge team says it's speeding up a lot of Edge's user interface elements: Things like the Favorites dialog will be 40% faster. - Under the hood, Edge and Chrome are now based on the same open-source code from the Chromium Project. But the interface on top is different. - Microsoft is also testing letting you control exactly how much RAM the Edge browser can use — but that feature seems like a bit of a gimmick if the Windows operating system is doing its job properly. 📌 READ MORE: Learn about [Edge's user interface speedups](=), or check out that [experimental Edge RAM-limiting feature](. SPONSORED MESSAGE Where AI meets device management 🤝 [Cartoon of a man talking to another man saying, "simplify, man."]()​ What do your fav fast-food chain, the doctor’s office, and your gym have in common? Likely, they all rely on a fleet of devices — POS systems, patient tablets, connected treadmills — to operate successfully! And as you can imagine, managing all of that can be very technical and time-consuming. But it doesn’t have to be. Simply download Esper’s [~free~ guide to using modern techniques to better manage company hardware]() and you’ll be on your way to improving efficiency, privacy, and security across the board. Imagine a world where… 🔧 Devices are self-diagnosing and self-healing 🙌 Solutions are scalable and require little manual intervention 🔐 Compliance and security is easier to achieve (and maintain) 🤖 AI can be deployed to reduce latency, improve privacy, and enhance security Interested in learning more about next-gen device management? ➜ [Make your life easier and read The Practical Guide to Preparing Edge Device Fleets for the Future here!]()​ [SIMPLIFY DEVICE MANAGEMENT TODAY​ ➜]() ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Set up the closest thing to a "Guest account" on your PC Want to share your PC with someone else? You're giving them access to a lot of private information, whether you have a new PC with the Recall feature or any other Windows PC. ➜ The safest way to share your PC is with a guest account, but Microsoft has made it confusing — and the web is full of articles with incorrect and misleading advice about how this works. ⌚ You can set up a guest-specific account in about 10 seconds. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. 📌 Read [my advice on setting up a guest account](=) for the facts. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Clear your browser history in a few keystrokes All the discussion about Windows Recall on those new Copilot+ PCs really highlights how important privacy and control is. And you have easy control over your browser history, too. ➜ In fact, a keyboard shortcut can help you clear your browser history in just a few quick keystrokes. ⌚ You can do this in 3 seconds. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. To open your web browser's "Clear Browser History" dialog, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. This works in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and other browsers. You can configure what you want to delete here and quickly delete it. Best of all, you can use the Tab and Enter keys to navigate this dialog. In other words, in Chrome, you can press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, tap the Tab key, and then press Enter to clear your browser history. You don't even have to touch the mouse. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Maximize a window vertically without making it wider Windows has a lot of hidden keyboard shortcuts, especially ones for working with windows. One little-known shortcut can save you time if you just want to make a window taller. ➜ This shortcut offers a convenient way to make a window taller without making it any wider — a very convenient trick on wide-screen displays. ⌚ You can do this in 2 seconds (at most.) 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. To maximize a window vertically — without resizing it to be wider — press Windows+Shift+Up arrow. Or, you can hover your mouse cursor over the top edge of a window — until it turns into two vertical arrows, indicating that the window can be resized — and double-click. Done! [A vertically maximized window on Windows 11.] ​ [] [Top Thurrott Thoughts] Some standout links and expert analysis from our friends at Thurrott, who have been covering Windows since 1994: - ​[Tip: Upgrade to Windows 11 Version 24H2 Right Now]( - You can get the upgrade (but not the new AI features.) - ​[Windows 11 Monthly Preview Update Brings Copilot as an App](=) - No more sidebar. - ​[Thinking About Surface Laptop (Premium)]() - Paul Thurrott discusses which Surface Laptop he's buying — and why. - ​[Report: Apple Partnering With OpenAI is Raising Concerns at Microsoft](=) - Android phones will use Google's AI, and iPhones will use OpenAI's AI. - ​[Welcome Back, WPF (Premium)](=) - Microsoft is investing in a decades-old Windows app development platform. ​ SPONSORED MESSAGE [Man standing by an HP printer]() A new HP printer for $6.99/mo Try the [HP All-In Plan]() risk-free for 30 days and get a brand new printer, automatic ink replenishments, and 24/7 live support. [CUSTOMIZE YOUR PLAN]() [And Just for Funsies...] Have you heard the news? ICQ is going away on June 26. To be honest, I'm surprised ICQ was still around! But still, the shut down is big news: It's the end of an era. ICQ was created in 1996 and was perhaps the first big instant messaging program. It laid the groundwork for applications like AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger, which were popular applications for sending text messages back and forth on PCs back in the early 2000s. AOL eventually purchased ICQ. Microsoft shut down MSN Messenger (which it renamed to Windows Live Messenger) in 2014, AOL shut down AOL Instant Messenger in 2017, and Yahoo! shut down Yahoo! Messenger in 2018. ICQ was the last instant messenger of its era to remain standing — until now. 🗳️ Vote in this week's poll: [Which old-school instant messaging app was your favorite?](=)​ Unlike the other instant messengers of its era, ICQ didn't use usernames. It used numbers, kind of like phone numbers — but not related to phone numbers at all. You'd contact someone at their "ICQ number." [An ICQ conversation window from the '90s.] Ars Technica has [a good ICQ retrospective](=) if you'd like a nostalgic look back. Thanks for reading! I appreciate being able to reach you directly in your email inbox each week. June starts tomorrow, and I hope you have an awesome weekend — and an awesome month. --------------------------------------------------------------- 📊 Last week's poll results were evenly divided: Half of readers are interested in buying a Copilot+ PC, while half aren't. Of the readers who are interested, 21% are waiting for reviews, while just 2% have already preordered. 🗳️ [Which old-school instant messaging app was your favorite?](=) Be sure to cast your vote in this week's poll! 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]() Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. 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