Microsoft Recall is a personal Windows feature that saves screen snapshots on Copilot+ PCs so you can search what you have seen. Reattend is organizational memory: it reads text from work apps on Mac (Windows in pilot), turns it into decisions and commitments, and lets people share that knowledge with their team under access rules. Recall helps one person; Reattend helps an organization remember.
At a glance
| Microsoft Recall | Reattend | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows, Copilot+ PCs | Mac; Windows in pilot |
| What it captures | Screen snapshots | Text from work apps (no keystrokes; screenshots only if you turn them on), meetings, dictation, chosen folders, scanned paper |
| What you get | Searchable snapshots | Memories: decisions, commitments, facts, tasks, people; briefs; ask with sources |
| Scope control | Filter apps and sites | Only apps and sites marked as work count |
| Sharing | Personal only | Derived knowledge shared under access rules; ledger of what left the computer |
| On managed devices | Disabled and removed by default; IT must allow; user opts in | Deployed by the organization; each person sees and controls what is shared |
| Admin control | IT cannot start saving snapshots for users | Admins manage access rules; raw capture stays on the device |
Recall details: Microsoft Learn, Microsoft Support.
Different questions they answer
- Recall: "Where did I see that chart last week?"
- Reattend: "What did we decide about the vendor contract, and who agreed?" or "What did Priya commit to before she moved teams?"
Privacy, compared
Both keep raw capture on the device. With Rabbit, Reattend's processing stays on the computer too; with managed AI or an own key, work text is sent for processing. The difference is what happens next. Recall does not share. Reattend shares only derived knowledge, never raw capture, and every person can see what left their computer and take items back. Reattend reads text, takes no screenshots unless you turn that on, and personal apps and sites are excluded by the work-scope setting. For the wider question, see is work-memory software employee monitoring?
Which should you use?
- Personal recall on a Copilot+ PC: Recall.
- A team or organization that keeps losing decisions and context: Reattend.
- A Mac: Recall is not available. See Rewind alternatives for Mac.
Frequently asked questions
What is Microsoft Recall?
Recall is a Windows feature on Copilot+ PCs that saves snapshots of your screen so you can search for things you have seen. It is opt-in, and snapshots are stored and processed on the device.
Is Microsoft Recall available on managed work PCs?
On commercially managed devices, Recall is disabled and removed by default. IT must allow it by policy, and each user must still opt in. IT admins cannot start saving snapshots for a user.
Is there a Microsoft Recall alternative for Mac?
Recall is Windows-only. On Mac, options include Screenpipe for personal capture and Reattend for work memory that can be shared with a team.
Can a team share Recall memories?
No. Recall is designed as a personal, on-device feature. It does not share memories with colleagues or the organization.