Encryption utility VeraCrypt now disables Microsoft Recall and other screen recording tools by default

Facepalm: Microsoft’s decision to make Recall an always-on screen recording feature has drawn widespread criticism. Privacy advocates urge users to shut it off, and developers are responding with tools like VeraCrypt, which now disables Recall and similar features by default.

VeraCrypt has become a bit more resistant to Recall. The on-the-fly encryption tool, which emerged from the ashes of TrueCrypt, recently released version 1.26.24 with new features for all three supported operating systems – Windows, Linux, and macOS. On Windows, the update adds a “screen protection” feature designed to block screenshots and screen recording tools.

While the developers didn’t explicitly mention Recall, it’s safe to bet your private PGP key that the new feature targets it. Microsoft recently relaunched Recall on compatible, NPU-equipped PCs, and it remains the same security and privacy nightmare it was when it debuted in 2024.

Recall takes a screenshot of the user’s desktop and application windows every five seconds, feeding the data to an on-device artificial intelligence model for direct interaction through a large language model. VeraCrypt enables its anti-screenshot feature by default, and users should keep it enabled if privacy or financial security is a concern. Still, the developers included an option to disable the protection if needed.

The new protection seems to work quite well, as it hides VeraCrypt’s program window every time the user (or Recall) tries to get a screenshot of the desktop through a third-party utility or Windows’ own screen capture features. VeraCrypt can also encrypt an entire partition or storage device with pre-boot authentication, though we can’t see how the Recall-blocking feature could help with that.

Ghacks reports that the new protection effectively hides VeraCrypt’s program window whenever a user or Recall attempts to capture the desktop using third-party utilities or native screen capture tools. VeraCrypt can also encrypt entire partitions or storage devices with pre-boot authentication, though the Recall-blocking feature doesn’t seem relevant to that function.

VeraCrypt is not the first privacy-focused software to implement mitigations against Windows Recall. Signal developers called Microsoft’s AI-powered tool a privacy-invasive nuisance, saying they had no choice but to block screenshots entirely or abandon the Windows platform.

VeraCrypt builds upon the now-deprecated TrueCrypt project, focusing on security, transparency, and performance. The program adheres to the principle of “plausible deniability.” If a malicious or adversarial actor forces a user to reveal their password, VeraCrypt can conceal the operating system or display a garbled stream of seemingly random data.