ChatGPT goes Windows Recall: AI now records Mac actions

With the new Computer History for ChatGPT under MacOS, OpenAI promises an intelligent helper that records every step of the process. But unencrypted local storage of data poses significant security risks for users.

Activity log for macOS

OpenAI has currently released a new feature for MacOS called Computer History for the ChatGPT app and the easiest way to rewrite this is with Windows Recall for Mac. The tool creates a detailed timeline of user activities by recording various actions. This includes mouse clicks within applications, keystrokes and shortcuts as well as switching between different programs. The aim is to integrate the AI ​​assistant more deeply into everyday work and transform it from a passive chatbot into an active helper. Users can continue tasks that were interrupted by the log, find documents more quickly or request summaries of their work day. OpenAI introduces Computer History for ChatGPT for MacOS via video

The function is initially only available to subscribers of the three tariffs Pro, Business and Enterprise. For legal reasons, the feature is completely missing at launch in the European Union, Switzerland and Great Britain – and probably very few people will be sad about it.

How it works without screenshots

In contrast to Microsoft’s Windows Recall, OpenAI’s new system does not take screenshots or audio input. Instead, the software uses the MacOS operating system’s accessibility features to capture interactions as text. The system automatically ignores private browser tabs.

As Thurrott reported, the system replaces the earlier preview version Chronicle, which was still based on screen recordings. The newly collected data not only helps the chatbot, but also the programming tool Codex. Users can ask specifically what they were working on before their last break and have recurring workflows automated by AI.

Data protection and security risks

A clear advantage for users is the conscious release: the protocol is deactivated by default and requires active consent. Users have control over which programs are monitored. You can exclude specific websites, pause data collection using the menu bar, or delete all history at any time. However, there are safety-related disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious: The log files stored locally on the Mac are stored unencrypted. Other programs could theoretically access it.

In addition, OpenAI processes the event files briefly on its own servers before they are deleted after 48 hours at the latest. Developers also warn of possible attacks through malicious instructions on visited websites, which the chatbot could carry out unnoticed if actively monitored. Due to the permanent recording of entries, one can only advise caution.