Brave Browser will block Windows Recall by default

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Brave Browser will block Windows Recall by default

Published

he

July 24, 2025

by

David Salces

Of all the decisions a software developer can make in these times of surveillance disguised as innovation, few are as comforting as those that say "no" on behalf of the user. Brave, the privacy-focused browser , has decided to stand up to one of Windows 11's most controversial features: Recall . And it has done so emphatically, announcing that it will block this feature by default for all its users , unless they expressly indicate otherwise. A clear and direct response to a technology that, although advertised as a productivity tool, has aroused more fear than enthusiasm.

Recall, as you may know, allows Windows 11 computers with Copilot+ hardware to continuously capture screens, thus storing a visual history that the user can later review with the help of artificial intelligence. Microsoft has sold this idea as a leap forward in the way we interact with our devices, but many security experts—and users concerned about their privacy—have interpreted it more as a wide-open window into the heart of our digital activity. Brave has understood this discomfort and, far from limiting itself to theoretical criticism, has taken matters into its own hands.

On a technical level, the protection Brave will implement in upcoming versions of the browser isn't just a statement of principles: it's an active barrier. It will detect when Recall is attempting to capture the browser screen and automatically respond by displaying a blank screen instead of the actual content. To achieve this, Brave monitors specific operating system processes, intercepting the capture attempt in real time. This way, even if Recall is still active on the system, within Brave, you'll encounter a visual wall of silence . And the best part is that all this happens without the user having to do anything at all.

This Brave announcement makes even more sense when you consider what we learned yesterday: the arrival of Copilot Vision. As we told you , this new Microsoft service goes even further than Recall, capturing on-screen activity during Copilot sessions and sending that data directly to the company's servers . Although Microsoft insists it won't use it to train models or personalize ads, the mere idea of constantly sharing what we see and do on our devices with an external company should be enough to set off alarm bells. And Brave, aware of this trend, has decided to get ahead of it.

It's true that Brave isn't the most popular browser on the market, but it's been building a solid reputation among those who value their digital privacy for years . Its decision to block Recall by default fits perfectly into a strategy that also includes tracker blocking, fingerprinting protection, private browsing with Tor, its own search engine, and multiple options for configuring how and when our data is shared. This isn't a fad or an isolated reaction: it's a coherent philosophy, built step by step, that makes Brave a benchmark in an ecosystem dominated by giants that often treat privacy as a hindrance.

Of course, this isn't an imposition. Brave will allow you to disable this protection feature from the browser settings , simply and transparently. But by setting the block as the default option, it sends a clear message: "We know this could affect you, and we're going to protect you from the start." Compared to a feature like Recall, which has been criticized even by regulatory bodies, this decision is welcome both for its content and its form. Because privacy, today more than ever, must come from protection, not from renunciation.

In a scenario where Microsoft seems increasingly determined to fill Windows with artificial intelligence features that see, analyze, and process everything we do , it's encouraging to see that there are still players who understand that user freedom begins with control over their own information. Brave doesn't just say it: it demonstrates it. And hopefully other developers will dare to follow its example, because what's at stake isn't just the user experience, but the right to decide to what extent we want our screens to also be windows open to prying eyes. In these times when software seems more interested in observing us than serving us, any barrier that stands between us and mass surveillance is, without a doubt, a step in the right direction.

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