Where Does Windows Recall Store Snapshots?
Windows Recall local snapshot store on Copilot+ PCs, and the Settings page that manages it.
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Recall keeps its screenshots and semantic index locally under your own profile, in the CoreAIPlatform.00 area of %LOCALAPPDATA% (a UKP subfolder holding the index database and an ImageStore of captures). Snapshots are encrypted per user, gated by Windows Hello, and never shared between accounts on the same machine.
Do not browse that folder by hand. Everything meaningful (on/off, storage caps, retention up to 180 days, deleting ranges, full reset) lives under Settings, Privacy and security, Recall and snapshots. Recall also needs Copilot+ hardware with Hello biometrics, stays opt in, and pauses itself under 25 GB free space.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
%LOCALAPPDATA%\CoreAIPlatform.00\UKP\[GUID]
Pattern from the preview builds; exact filenames (ukg.db index, ImageStore captures) are version dependent and the store is now hardware protected, so manage it through Settings instead of Explorer. Per user, per device GUID subfolder. Copilot+ PC with Hello biometrics required.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open the Recall snapshot files directly?
In practice, no. The store is encrypted per user and gated by Windows Hello, an intentional fix for the plaintext files researchers found in early previews. Use Settings, Privacy and security, Recall and snapshots to view, limit or delete.
Which PCs can run Recall at all?
Copilot+ PCs only: Secured-core design, 40 TOPS NPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage with 50 GB free, plus BitLocker and Hello biometrics. Anything older simply lacks the Settings page.
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