Microsoft’s Recall sparked outrage that Microsoft was spying on customers. However will Apple’s “semantic search” produce the identical headlines?

Apple launched the brand new function at its “Glowtime” occasion on Monday, the place the corporate launched the iPhone 16, plus new variations of the Apple Watch and its AirPod earbuds.

“If you have to shortly discover an vital element, however can’t bear in mind the place it was shared, Siri will use your private semantic index to shortly find the knowledge you’re in search of,” Greg Jozwiak, Apple’s senior vice-president of worldwide advertising, mentioned in the course of the transient section on Apple Intelligence that accompanied the iPhone 16 Professional. (See the picture on the prime of this web page for extra.)

That was all Apple mentioned on the topic. However the brand new function appears to vow to do the identical factor that Microsoft’s personal Recall might do: observe down a element someplace in your digital forest of apps.

Apple’s Jozwiak didn’t say how the semantic search would work, or which apps it will be restricted to, or how far again the search may very well be carried out. Apple has taken pains to emphasise that any data it captures is saved on the system, and never in Apple’s cloud; Microsoft has mentioned the identical factor, however garnered much more distrust from customers. Now, Microsoft has mentioned that its Recall function shall be slowly rolled out and examined inside its Recall program starting in October, and something that smells Recall-like is now met with suspicion. However the purpose, apparently, is identical: observe down the knowledge you may’t discover.

To be truthful, Apple’s continued emphasis on securely storing client data on-device, moderately than within the cloud, has constructed up a degree of belief with shoppers that Microsoft has failed to determine. Frankly, shoppers merely don’t belief Microsoft the identical manner they belief Apple — regardless that Recall seems to take the identical pains as Apple to safe consumer information instantly on the system itself. And naturally, there’s the hated advertisements inside Home windows.

Nonetheless, you may’t assist however be struck by the discrepancy. Microsoft Recall? Horrible. However Apple? Completely high-quality. Deliver on the Apple iOS Recall semantic search!