Windows Recall not showing up in Settings, or refusing to turn on? Recall is not an app you download. When it is missing or will not enable, the cause is almost always an unmet requirement or a policy on the PC, not a glitch you can fix by reinstalling. This guide goes through the checks in the order that finds the cause fastest.
Quick answer: Recall needs a Copilot+ PC with a 40 TOPS NPU, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage with at least 50 GB free, Device Encryption or BitLocker turned on, and Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security set up with a biometric sign-in. On a work or school PC, Recall is removed by default until an administrator allows it. If any one of these is missing, the setting may not appear at all.
Documentation reviewed October 24, 2026. The requirements below come from Microsoft’s Recall support page. User reports are labelled as reports, and we have not tested every PC model. Menu names can change between Windows builds.
First, match what you see to the check
| What you see | Likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| No “Recall & snapshots” page in Settings | PC is not a Copilot+ PC, or the feature is not installed | Checks 1 and 5 |
| The page exists but Save snapshots will not switch on | Encryption, Windows Hello or storage requirement not met | Checks 2 to 4 |
| Recall is missing on a work or school PC | Removed by default until IT allows it | Check 6 |
| Recall worked, then vanished | A system change, update or policy | Checks 7 and 8 |
| Everything meets the requirements and it still fails | Needs Microsoft support | Last section |
Check 1: Is your PC a Copilot+ PC?
Microsoft lists Recall as a Copilot+ PC feature. The PC must also meet the secured-core standard, have a 40 TOPS NPU (neural processing unit), and have 16 GB of RAM. An ordinary Windows 11 laptop, even a fast one, does not qualify.
- Look for the Copilot+ PC label on the box, the manufacturer’s product page or the spec sheet.
- Open Task Manager → Performance and see whether your PC lists an NPU. No NPU entry is a strong sign it is not a Copilot+ PC.
- If it has an NPU, confirm the TOPS rating on the manufacturer’s spec page. Task Manager does not tell you whether it reaches 40 TOPS.
If your PC is not a Copilot+ PC, Recall is not available on it and there is no supported way around that. Our guide to what an AI PC can do without the internet explains what NPUs are for.
Check 2: Storage space
Microsoft requires 256 GB of storage with at least 50 GB free to enable Recall. Once it is running, saving snapshots pauses automatically when free space drops below 25 GB. Open Settings → System → Storage, free up space if you are under 50 GB, then try again.
Check 3: Device Encryption or BitLocker
Recall needs Device Encryption or BitLocker turned on. Open Settings → Privacy & security → Device encryption (some editions show BitLocker settings instead) and check that encryption is on. Back up your recovery key before changing encryption settings.
Check 4: Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security
You need Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security enrolled, with at least one biometric option such as face or fingerprint turned on. A PIN alone is not enough to meet the requirement. Open Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options, set up face or fingerprint recognition, and look for an enhanced sign-in security option there. Which option you see depends on your PC’s hardware.
Check 5: “Turn Windows features on or off”
Recall can be installed as an optional Windows feature. A Microsoft Q&A answer to a user whose Recall had disappeared suggested checking there first:
- Open the old Control Panel and set View by to large icons.
- Open Programs and Features, then Turn Windows features on or off.
- Look for Recall. If it is unticked, tick it and restart.
- After the restart, go to Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots.
If Recall is not in the list at all, the PC may not meet the requirements, or a policy may have removed it.
Check 6: Work or school PCs
Microsoft says that on managed commercial and education devices, Recall is removed by default until an IT administrator allows it, and that Recall is available by default only on devices not managed by an organization or school. An administrator also cannot turn on snapshots for you. You still choose to enable them yourself. Ask your IT team whether Recall is permitted on your PC and whether a policy limits disk space or retention.
Check 7: Install pending Windows updates
Open Settings → Windows Update and install anything pending, including optional updates from the PC manufacturer. This is a reasonable check, but it is not a guaranteed fix. One user on Microsoft’s community forum reported Recall missing on a fully updated Acer Swift 14 with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor, and updates did not solve it.
Check 8: Did you change something right before it disappeared?
One Microsoft Q&A user on a Samsung Galaxy Book6 reported that Recall vanished from Settings after they adjusted a disk partition, although BitLocker and Windows Hello were still on. That thread has no confirmed fix, so treat it as a hint rather than a diagnosis. If Recall disappeared right after a partition change, a BIOS or firmware update, a reset, or a major Windows update, mention that when you contact support.
Still missing after all eight checks?
Some cases have no published fix. The Acer user above confirmed every requirement, contacted Microsoft support twice, and still had no Recall after a clean install of Windows. The answer they received from the community was that there is no supported software bypass for an unmet prerequisite. If your PC is not managed by an organization and meets every requirement, open Get Help in Windows and give support these details:
- PC make and model, and where you saw the Copilot+ PC label
- NPU details from Task Manager and the manufacturer’s spec page
- Windows edition and exact build (Settings → System → About)
- Whether Device Encryption or BitLocker is on, and which Windows Hello options are set up
- Free storage space
- Whether the PC is personal or managed by work or school
- What changed just before Recall disappeared, if anything
Do not use unofficial scripts or hacks to force Recall on unsupported hardware. Recall stores a searchable record of what appears on your screen, and its protections rely on the very requirements those tricks skip. Read whether Windows Recall is safe and how to turn it off before enabling it.
FAQ
Why is Recall missing from Windows 11 Settings?
Most often because the PC is not a Copilot+ PC, one of the requirements (encryption, Windows Hello, storage) is not met, or an administrator removed it on a managed device. Work through Checks 1 to 6.
Can I use Recall on a regular Windows 11 PC?
According to Microsoft’s requirements, Recall needs a Copilot+ PC. A standard Windows 11 PC without the required NPU does not qualify.
Where do I turn on Recall?
Go to Settings → Privacy & security → Recall & snapshots and turn on Save snapshots. You can also open Recall for the first time and answer the prompt to allow snapshots.
Does Recall work in every language?
Microsoft says Recall is optimized for English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Japanese and Spanish, and that content-based and storage limitations apply.
Related guides
- Is Windows Recall safe, and how to turn it off — what it saves and how to control it.
- What an AI PC can do without the internet — NPUs and local AI explained.
- Windows and AI PC guides — Windows 10 support, NPUs and offline AI.
Sources: Microsoft’s Recall support page, plus user reports on Microsoft Community Hub and Microsoft Q&A. This is a documentation-based guide, not a claim of hands-on testing on every PC.
Part of our Windows and AI PC guides and AI security and privacy guides.
