Signal is taking a stand against Microsoft’s new Recall feature in Windows 11, which captures and stores screenshots of nearly everything a user does every three seconds. In response, the secure messaging app has announced a new privacy safeguard for its Windows desktop version.
Effective immediately, Signal for Windows blocks screenshots by default, using a content protection API. Users who need to take screenshots for accessibility or personal record-keeping can re-enable the feature manually through the app’s settings.
Why the Concern?
Microsoft’s Recall, part of its AI-driven features in Windows 11, has raised alarms among privacy advocates. The feature **indexes apps, messages, emails, Zoom calls, photos even Signal chats**and stores them in a searchable database. While Recall has been reworked after initial backlash last year, including changes like:
- Switching from opt-out to opt-in
- Encrypting stored data with keys in a secure enclave
- Offering limited user controls
…it still poses serious risks, especially for encrypted apps like Signal. Researcher Kevin Beaumont recently demonstrated that Recall could still capture sensitive data, like payment details, and decrypt content with something as basic as a fingerprint or PIN.
Signal’s “One Weird Trick”
Since Microsoft doesn’t provide a dedicated API to block Recall, Signal took matters into its own hands using a digital rights management (DRM) API meant to protect copyrighted content. This workaround prevents Windows from capturing screenshots inside the Signal app.
In a statement, Signal criticized the lack of developer tools for Recall control:
“Apps like Signal shouldn’t have to implement ‘one weird trick’ to protect user privacy… People shouldn’t have to sacrifice accessibility for the sake of AI.”
While this measure reduces the risk of private messages being indexed, it only works if all users in a conversation have the screenshot block enabled. Signal’s approach highlights a broader issue: developers still have no native way to stop Recall from indexing their apps.
Microsoft has yet to respond to questions about whether more granular developer controls are on the way.
