Signal Blocks Windows 11 Recall Screenshots to Protect Privacy

Signal, the secure messaging app, has released an update for its Windows 11 client aimed at protecting users from Microsoft's new Recall feature, which automatically captures screenshots of app content for AI-powered search and recall purposes.

Recall, launched by Microsoft as part of its Copilot Plus suite, is designed to help users find emails, chats, or images by searching through screenshots taken automatically by the OS. While this can improve productivity, it raises significant privacy concerns, especially for apps like Signal that handle sensitive communications.

To counter this, Signal has enabled screen security by default using digital rights management (DRM) technology similar to that used by streaming services like Netflix to prevent unauthorized screenshots. This ensures that Recall cannot capture Signal's chat windows.

However, this protection comes with trade-offs. The DRM-based screen security may interfere with accessibility features such as screen readers, potentially impacting users who rely on these tools. Signal has made it possible to disable this feature under Settings > Privacy > Screen Security, but the need for such workarounds highlights a gap in OS-level support for app privacy.

Developer Joshua Lund emphasizes that operating system vendors like Microsoft must provide app developers with robust tools and APIs to opt out of features like Recall, especially when handling sensitive information. Currently, Recall lacks an API for developers to exclude their apps’ content from AI-powered screenshot archiving.

While Microsoft filters out private or incognito browser windows by default and allows users to manually exclude certain apps from Recall, these measures require user awareness and action, which may not be practical for all users.

Signal’s proactive approach to screen security reflects broader concerns about balancing AI-powered convenience with privacy and security. As AI features become more integrated into operating systems, developers and users alike face new challenges in protecting sensitive data without sacrificing usability or accessibility.

This situation underscores the need for clearer standards and better collaboration between OS vendors and app developers to ensure privacy protections keep pace with AI advancements. Until then, solutions like Signal’s screen security offer a necessary, if imperfect, safeguard against unauthorized data capture.