The Windows function that collects screenshots of everything you do on your computer is blocked by the Brave browser.

The launch of the contentious Windows Recall on its new Copilot+ PCs is the one thing that Microsoft Build 2024 will be known for. This function, which is marketed as a "photographic memory" for your computer, creates a comprehensive and searchable chronology of everything you have ever seen or done by continuously snapping screenshots of your activities.

Security experts and skeptics dubbed the function a privacy nightmare almost immediately, pointing out that a single piece of malware could access a user's whole digital existence. Microsoft vowed to allow customers to choose which apps are recorded in response to the criticism, but some developers are not holding out.

Some app developers took matters into their own hands to protect their customers, just about a month after the capability was made widely available for Copilot+ PCs (it is currently being rolled out to users in Europe).

One such company was Signal, which implemented an opt-out feature called "Screen Security" to prevent its chats from being captured. It smartly employs the same technology used by streaming services like Netflix to stop users from recording movies—a Digital Rights Management (DRM) flag—to black out the application window during a screenshot attempt.

By declaring on X that it will ban Recall by default with its v1.81 upgrade, which is anticipated in the upcoming weeks, Brave Browser has now joined the group. 

Brave's latest update simply informs the Windows operating system that all of its browser windows are private, notwithstanding Microsoft's claim that Recall will not record anything from private browsing windows. This stops Recall from capturing all of your actions in Brave, not simply those that take place in a specific private tab.

The company did give Microsoft some credit in its presentation for implementing adjustments, like making Recall an opt-in function, in response to the first public backlash. Nonetheless, the business continues to believe that it is extremely risky to grant any program unfettered access to a user's browsing history.

By going to Settings, then Privacy and Security, and turning off the "Block Microsoft Recall" option, you can turn off the upcoming protection if you, for some reason, enjoy Windows Recall.