Microsoft Recall for Mac: is there an equivalent, and how do they differ?

Recall is Microsoft’s searchable record of what you did on a PC. People on Macs ask for the same thing. This article says what Recall is and which Mac apps do the job.

What Recall is

Recall saves snapshots of your screen periodically and when the content of the active window changes, then lets you search them or scroll a timeline. Microsoft’s documentation says it needs a Copilot+ PC with a 40 TOPS NPU, 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, at least 50 GB of free space to enable it, and Windows Hello with a biometric sign-in.

On privacy, Microsoft says Recall is off until you opt in, that snapshots are encrypted on the local drive with keys protected by the TPM and tied to your Windows Hello identity, and that it does not share snapshots or related data with Microsoft or third parties. You can filter apps and websites, sensitive-information filtering is on by default, and you can delete individual snapshots, everything for an app or site, or reset Recall.

Which Mac apps do this

Everpaper

Everpaper is our product. It is the Mac app that most resembles Recall, with meetings added. You start your workday journal, and in the default mode it takes a screenshot of each display every 2 minutes and reads it on the Mac. Ask answers with the screenshot or the moment in a recording. Screenshots are deleted after 30 days by default, and you can choose 7 or 90 days or forever.

Controls: you can skip apps and sites so they are never captured while in front, private browsing windows are skipped by default, and keys, card numbers and similar secrets are scrubbed from text before it is saved or sent anywhere. A screenshot shows the whole display, so a skipped app visible behind another window can still appear, and Everpaper says to use Pause or Activity only for sensitive work.

Limits: macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon, private beta, no public price, and no Windows version.

Screenpipe

Screenpipe runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and its README says capture history stays on your device by default. It is the choice if you need one tool across platforms. See Screenpipe alternatives.

What about Rewind?

Rewind was the Mac version of this idea, and it stopped capturing on 19 December 2025 after Meta acquired Limitless. See Limitless and Rewind alternatives.

Apply for the Everpaper private beta.

Frequently asked questions

Does Microsoft Recall work on Mac?

No. Microsoft's documentation describes Recall as an experience exclusive to Copilot+ PCs running Windows 11.

What is the Mac equivalent of Windows Recall?

Everpaper keeps a searchable history of your screen and meetings on a Mac, and Screenpipe records screen, audio and meetings on macOS, Windows and Linux. Rewind did the same job on Mac until its app stopped capturing on 19 December 2025.

Is Recall on by default?

No. Microsoft says that if you do not opt in, Recall is off and snapshots are not saved. Each Windows user opts in separately.

Does Recall send my screenshots to Microsoft?

Microsoft says Recall does not share snapshots or associated data with Microsoft or third parties, and that no internet connection is needed to save or analyze them.

Is Everpaper's screen history on by default?

No. Nothing records until you start your workday journal. In the default mode it takes a screenshot of each display every 2 minutes and deletes screenshots after 30 days unless you choose another period.

Sources

1. Microsoft Learn: Recall overview
2. Microsoft Support: Retrace your steps with Recall
3. Microsoft Support: privacy and control over your Recall experience
4. Screenpipe on GitHub
5. Limitless FAQ
6. Everpaper docs: day journal
7. Everpaper privacy page