Brave Software, the company behind the popular privacy-focused Brave browser, has taken a big step to protect its users. They have announced that their browser will block Windows Recall from taking screenshots of Brave windows by default. This change was made because of growing concerns about user privacy and how much personal data Microsoft Recall might be collecting.
In this article, we’ll explain what Windows Recall is, why people are worried about it, and how Brave blocks Windows Recall to help keep you safe.
🧠 What is Windows Recall?
Windows Recall is a new feature in Windows 11 that takes screenshots of your computer screen every few seconds. It uses this data to help you search your past activity using natural language. This means you can ask your computer things like, “What was the recipe I saw last week?” and Recall will try to find it for you.
While that sounds useful, the problem is that Recall might save sensitive information like:
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Passwords
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Emails
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Health records
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Financial documents
All of these could be saved in the screenshots, which some people think is dangerous.
😨 Why Are People Worried About Recall?
Many users and privacy experts say this feature can be a big risk if someone gets access to your computer. Even if you didn’t mean to save sensitive data, Recall might have captured it in a screenshot.
Some examples of what Recall could capture include:
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Private chat messages
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Bank details from online banking
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Personal medical data
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Private photos or videos
Even if you use incognito or private browsing modes, Recall might still save the screen. This is why privacy-focused companies like Brave are stepping in.
🛡️ How Brave Blocks Windows Recall
To protect users, Brave added a special code to its browser that tells Windows not to capture screenshots of its windows.
They used something called SetInputScope API and marked the browser windows as IS_PRIVATE. This is a setting that tells Windows:
"This window has private content. Don’t let Recall save it."
Brave developers explained this change in detail on their GitHub page. They said:
"We can force that to be true for all windows in renderer_widget_host_view."
This means that all Brave tabs are protected automatically, even if users don’t change any settings.
✅ Is This Feature On by Default?
Yes! Brave has already turned this feature on in their Nightly version (the early test version for new features). And they said it will be added to the stable version (used by most people) in the next few weeks.
So if you use Brave, you don’t have to do anything. It’s already keeping your browsing safe from Recall.
If you do want to use Windows Recall for some reason, Brave also gives you the option to turn this protection off in the browser settings. But most people won’t need to change anything.
🔒 Why This Matters for Your Privacy
Brave explained in their blog post that this change is especially important for people who are in sensitive or dangerous situations, like victims of intimate partner violence. If an abusive person gains access to Recall data, they might see everything the user did online.
Brave said:
“It’s vital that your browsing activity on Brave does not accidentally end up in a persistent database, which is especially ripe for abuse.”
This is a strong message about the importance of digital safety in the modern world.
🔧 How to Stay Protected
If you want to make sure your browser is safe from Windows Recall:
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Download Brave from brave.com
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Keep the browser updated regularly
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Use Brave Nightly if you want the latest features early
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Avoid logging into your computer as admin all the time
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Use strong passwords and turn on two-factor authentication where possible
If you want to check or change the Windows Recall settings on your PC, go to:
Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots
From there, you can turn Recall off completely or manage what it saves.
🌐 Outbound Links for Further Reading
📌 Final Thoughts
Brave is once again showing that user privacy comes first. By blocking Windows Recall from taking screenshots of your browser activity, they are protecting your personal life from being recorded without your full understanding.
If you care about privacy and don’t want your browsing data stored in screenshots, Brave might be the right browser for you.