Microsoft just announced this AI laptop feature that Apple should bring to Macs

News
By
published

Recall anything you've done on your computer

A 2023 14-inch MacBook Pro on a wooden counter, near a retro lamp.
(Image credit: Gerald Lynch / Future)

Microsoft just unveiled a shiny new AI tool called Recall. This fresh feature for Windows 11 acts like your own personal AI assistant that logs everything you do, every app you use, every meeting you attend, and every website you visit, all neatly accessible through a quick "Recall" action.

For anyone who’s been around the block a few times, this might ring a bell. Microsoft had a similar go with Timeline on Windows 10, but that feature quietly took its last breath in 2021. Now, the feature is back, AI charged, and improved. Recall is essentially Timeline on steroids, complete with deep integration into Windows.

Here’s how it works: Recall creates an interactive timeline of your digital life. Whether you’re in Teams, Excel, or just surfing the web, everything you do gets logged. When you need to jog your memory, just perform a Recall action, and you get a snapshot of that period, complete with context.

Apple’s Mac computers could definitely do with a similar feature. Currently, there's an app called Rewind for the best Macs, which is a decent third-party alternative. However, it doesn’t quite hit the same sweet spot. Rewind requires installation and a bunch of system permissions, making it feel like an add-on rather than a seamless part of the Mac experience. Plus, it doesn’t have the native integration Recall promises for Windows.

Elsewhere at the event, Microsoft made a bunch of other announcements – all with AI at the center. There's a new category of PCs called Copilot Plus, which come with the Snapdragon X Elite and Plus processors from Qualcomm. Copilot is getting access to OpenAI's latest model GPT-4o, and will be available across more parts of Windows 11. Plus, there were new devices unveiled in the Surface line-up that look ready to compete with the M3 MacBook Air.

Apple's AI boom is close

WWDC 2024 is taking place on June 10, and it's where we'll see all of Apple's new software announcements. AI is top of the cards for the event, where we're expecting to see new features announced across the product line. We expect a slew of new features, the biggest of which will be powered by AI. Rumors have so far suggested that new AI features will come to the Notes and Safari apps, among others, so there's plenty to look forward to.

A feature similar to Recall from Microsoft would be Apple's best bet for securing AI features on its products. These features will be new, and potentially hard for users to adopt. Rather than big scary "AI taking over everything" software, features like this that would prove useful to users are likely a more effective option.

More from iMore

Connor Jewiss
Connor Jewiss
Contributor

Connor is a technology writer and editor, with a byline on multiple platforms. He has been writing for around seven years now across the web and in print too. Connor has experience on most major platforms, though does hold a place in his heart for macOS, iOS/iPadOS, electric vehicles, and smartphone tech.

4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • naddy69
    Apple can bring this to Macs, as long as it can be turned off. I have absolutely NO desire to have everything I do logged, recorded and searchable.

    What could possibly go wrong? :rolleyes:

    And this is a particularly horrible idea on Windows. It will be yet another attack vector for ransomware.
    Reply
  • simonmann
    naddy69 said:
    Apple can bring this to Macs, as long as it can be turned off. I have absolutely NO desire to have everything I do logged, recorded and searchable.

    What could possibly go wrong? :rolleyes:

    And this is a particularly horrible idea on Windows. It will be yet another attack vector for ransomware.
    Relax, it'll be encrypted. Just like it will on macOS and iOS/PadOS.
    Reply
  • FFR
    "Windows now constantly takes screenshots of what’s on your screen…."

    Reply
  • naddy69
    "Relax, it'll be encrypted. Just like it will on macOS and iOS/PadOS."

    Uh huh. Sure. :rolleyes:

    Does not matter. I want to be able to turn this junk off. Completely. In fact, it should come already disabled. You have to manually turn it on. Otherwise it will be a huge waste of CPU and storage.

    So-called "AI" does not interest me at all. To me, this all just reeks of the 1984 Apple "Big Brother" commercial. Actually watching/recording everything you do.

    Why does anyone think this is a good idea?
    Reply