Microsoft Edge now includes an on-device AI feature called the Scareware Blocker. When a web page forces itself into full screen, a small computer-vision model running locally on your PC checks whether the page matches known tech-support scam pages. If it does, Edge drops you out of full screen, silences the fake alarm sound, and shows a warning. It is not Windows Recall, it saves nothing, and you can switch it off in Edge settings.
Applies to: Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2), and macOS | Last updated: July 8, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The Scareware Blocker is an on-device AI — a computer-vision model that runs locally on your PC. Microsoft says no screenshots or images are sent to the cloud.
- It only activates on full-screen pages — the exact trick scam pages use. It does not scan your normal browsing, banking tab, or email.
- It is not Windows Recall — it saves nothing and builds no history. It only asks one question in the moment: is this page a scam?
- It is on by default on most reasonably modern PCs (more than 2 GB of RAM and enough CPU cores), on both Windows and Mac.
- You are in full control — the toggle lives at Edge Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security > Scareware blocker.
Quick Steps:
- Open Microsoft Edge and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search, and services in the left menu.
- Scroll down to the Security section.
- Find the Scareware blocker toggle.
- Switch it on for protection, or off if you do not want any AI looking at full-screen pages.
What Is the Microsoft Edge Scareware Blocker?
The Scareware Blocker is a security feature in Microsoft Edge that detects full-screen scam pages using a small AI model that runs directly on your PC. Scareware is the type of scam that suddenly takes over your whole browser with a fake full-screen “your computer is infected” page, often with a loud alarm sound, to panic you into calling a number or paying for a fake fix.
When a page goes full screen, the computer-vision model looks at what is on that page and compares it against thousands of known scam pages. If it decides the page is one of those scams, Edge steps in: it drops you straight back out of full screen, cuts off the fake alarm sound, and shows a warning with a small thumbnail of the page so you can close it and carry on. The whole idea is to catch the scam before someone actually falls for it.
This is the part I genuinely appreciate. I ran a computer repair business for 10 years, and I lost count of how many people I saw fall for these full-screen scams — usually older folks who are not that tech savvy, who see a scary warning, believe their computer has been hacked, and end up phoning the number and handing a criminal remote access to their PC. A tool that stops that page before it can panic someone is a real win.
Why the Scareware Blocker Is Not Windows Recall
The Scareware Blocker is not Windows Recall, and it is not Recall quietly built into Edge either. This is where most of the confusion comes from, because on the surface they sound the same: both use AI, and both look at your screen. What they actually do could not be more different.
Recall is a Windows feature whose whole job is to remember. It takes snapshots of your screen every few seconds, saves them to your hard drive, and slowly builds a searchable history of everything you have been doing on your PC. The Scareware Blocker does none of that. It only ever looks at the one page on your screen, right there in the moment, while it is full screen — and it is only ever asking a single question: is this a scam, yes or no? It is a real-time scam filter that happens to use AI to do its job.
Is It Watching Everything You Do?
No. The Scareware Blocker only kicks in when a page goes full screen, which is exactly what these scam pages do to trick you. It is not sitting there reading your banking tab, your emails, or any of your other tabs during normal browsing.
Here is what Microsoft says: all of the analysis happens locally on your device, and no screenshots or images are sent to the cloud. The model runs on your PC, it does not save anything, and the only time a screenshot ever leaves your machine is if you choose to report a scam yourself to help block it for other people.
My take: It is still a model that looks at whatever is on that full-screen page, so we are taking Microsoft at their word that none of it leaves your device. The design itself is genuinely good, but it is fair to keep a healthy bit of doubt — and either way, whether it runs at all is completely your choice.
What the Scareware Blocker Will Not Catch
Because it only works on full-screen pages, the Scareware Blocker will not catch every scam out there. The smaller scam ads and fake pop-ups you get on some websites — the ones that do not take over your whole screen — are not what this is built for, so it will not stop those.
It is made specifically for the full-screen takeover type of scam, where a page hijacks your entire screen to panic you. Treat it as a useful extra layer, not a replacement for staying careful and keeping the protections you would normally have in place.
How to Check If the Scareware Blocker Is Running and Turn It Off
Microsoft says the Scareware Blocker is now switched on by default on most Windows and Mac machines, as long as your PC is reasonably modern — roughly more than 2 GB of RAM and enough CPU cores. You do not have to take anyone’s word for whether it is on, though, because you can check it yourself in a few seconds.
Open Edge and go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services, then scroll down to the Security section. You will see a toggle called Scareware blocker sitting right there — that is your control. If it is off and you want the protection, switch it on. If you would rather not have any AI looking at your screen at all, for whatever reason, switch it off and it is gone.
If you would prefer not to use Edge at all, that is also an option — here is my full guide on how to uninstall Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 and 11.
Should You Leave It On?
For most people, leaving the Scareware Blocker on is the sensible choice, and it is especially worth it if you set up or look after PCs for your parents or grandparents. If they use Edge, they are exactly the type of people these full-screen scams go after, and this is a quiet safety net that runs in the background without getting in their way.
For once, this is Microsoft using AI the way it should be used: running locally to protect the people most likely to get caught out, rather than another thing watching everything you do and sending it back to Microsoft. If you want broader control over the data Windows itself collects, my free tool Winhance lets you manage Windows privacy, telemetry, and bloat from one place.
A Note on Browsing More Privately
If privacy is on your mind, a VPN is a simple way to keep your connection private and get around basic blocks. The one I personally use is ProtonVPN’s free tier, which is rare in that it offers unlimited bandwidth and a no-logs policy at no cost. The free version auto-connects you to the fastest available server, so if you need to manually pick a specific country — for streaming, for example — you will want ProtonVPN Plus.
The links above are affiliate links — if you sign up through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it helps support the channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Edge Scareware Blocker the same as Windows Recall?
No. Recall continuously snapshots your screen and builds a searchable history that is saved to your PC. The Scareware Blocker saves nothing and keeps no history — it only checks a single full-screen page in the moment to decide whether it is a scam.
Does the Scareware Blocker send my screen to Microsoft?
According to Microsoft, no. All analysis happens locally on your device and nothing is uploaded. The only time an image leaves your machine is if you manually choose to report a scam page to help protect other users.
Will it slow down my PC?
It should not be noticeable on most machines. The model is small, runs locally, and only activates when a page goes full screen. Microsoft enables it by default on reasonably modern PCs — roughly more than 2 GB of RAM and enough CPU cores.
Does the Scareware Blocker work on Windows 10?
Yes. It is a Microsoft Edge feature, so it works in Edge on Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11, as well as on macOS. It is tied to the browser, not to a specific version of Windows.
How do I turn off the Edge Scareware Blocker?
Go to Edge Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Security, then switch the Scareware blocker toggle off. It stops running immediately, and you can switch it back on the same way at any time.
