How to Turn Off Copilot in Windows 11, Edge and Office

Here is how to turn off Copilot on a Windows 11 PC: uninstall the Copilot app from Settings, hide the Copilot button in Microsoft Edge, and untick Enable Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Every step below comes from Microsoft’s own help pages, and at the end you will find a plain list of the Copilot parts you can’t remove.

Quick answer: Windows 11: Settings > Apps > Installed apps, search for Copilot, select the … menu and choose Uninstall. Edge: open the Copilot settings page and turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote: File > Options > Copilot, untick Enable Copilot, then restart the app.

What “turning off Copilot” actually means

Copilot is not one switch. Microsoft puts it in several places, and each one has its own setting:

• The Copilot app in Windows, which opens from the taskbar, the Start menu or the Copilot key.
• Copilot in Microsoft Edge, the button on the browser toolbar and in the sidebar.
• Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook.

So if you want Copilot gone everywhere, work through each section below. If it only bothers you in one place, jump straight to that one. If you actually want to try it first, our guide on how to use Copilot for free shows what it can do.

How to turn off Copilot in Windows 11 (uninstall the app)

On a personal PC, Copilot is a normal app, so the cleanest way to turn it off is to uninstall it. Microsoft’s Getting started with Microsoft Copilot page gives these steps:

1. Open Settings (press Windows + I).
2. Go to Apps > Installed apps.
3. Type Copilot in the search box.
4. Select the … (More options) menu next to the Copilot app.
5. Choose Uninstall and confirm.

On Windows 10 the path is shorter: Settings > Apps, search for Copilot, then select Uninstall.

Just want the icon gone? Unpin it from the taskbar

If you’d rather keep the app but stop seeing it, right-click the Copilot icon on the taskbar and choose Unpin from taskbar. Copilot stays installed and still opens from the Start menu or the Copilot key.

What to do about the Copilot key on your keyboard

Many newer laptops and keyboards have a dedicated Copilot key, and Windows + C does the same job. Microsoft’s page Understand updates to the Copilot key on Windows devices explains what you can change:

• Remap the key. Microsoft says a Windows 11 update adds a setting under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard that turns the Copilot key into a Context menu key or a Right Ctrl key. If you don’t see it yet, install the latest Windows updates and check again.
• Use your PC maker’s setting. Microsoft notes that some manufacturers have their own Copilot key setting. Use either the Windows setting or the maker’s setting, not both.
• Watch out with Right Ctrl. Microsoft warns that mapping the key to Right Ctrl breaks some shortcut combinations, so use the left Ctrl key for those.

Microsoft’s page only describes remapping the key. It doesn’t describe a way to switch the key off completely.

If you keep Copilot installed, the Copilot app itself also lets you choose whether the key opens the full app or a smaller quick view, under Account > Settings > Copilot Keyboard Shortcuts.

How to turn off Copilot in Microsoft Edge

Edge shows Copilot as a button on the toolbar. Microsoft’s Edge troubleshooting article (Copilot icon not showing in Edge sidebar) names the setting that controls it:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Paste edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar into the address bar and press Enter.
3. Under App specific settings, select Copilot.
4. Turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar.

The same Microsoft article explains that when the Edge sidebar is turned off, all sidebar apps are hidden, Copilot included. Hiding the button only removes it from view.

How to turn off Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote

Microsoft’s page Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps covers this. It works when you sign in with a personal Microsoft account (for example a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscription).

On Windows

1. Open Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OneNote.
2. Go to File > Options > Copilot.
3. Untick Enable Copilot and select OK.
4. Close the app and open it again.

Each app has its own checkbox, so repeat this in every app where you want Copilot off. Microsoft lists the versions that have it: Word 2412 or later, Excel and PowerPoint 2501 or later, and OneNote 2502 or later. The setting applies to that app on that PC, for everyone who uses it.

On a Mac

1. Open Word, Excel or PowerPoint.
2. From the app menu, choose Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot.
3. Untick Enable Copilot.
4. Quit the app and open it again.

This needs Word 16.93 or later, or Excel and PowerPoint 16.93.2 or later.

No Enable Copilot checkbox?

Microsoft’s fallback is the privacy setting for connected experiences. On Windows, go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings, clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content, select OK and restart the app. On a Mac it’s under Preferences > Personal Settings > Privacy > Connected Experiences > Manage Connected Experiences.

Be aware this switches off more than Copilot. Microsoft says it also turns off features such as Outlook suggested replies, Word text predictions, PowerPoint Designer and automatic alt text.

How to turn off Copilot in Outlook

Outlook uses a Turn on Copilot toggle instead of a checkbox, according to the same Microsoft page:

• New Outlook for Windows: Settings > Copilot.
• Outlook on the web: Settings > Copilot.
• Outlook for Mac (version 16.95.3 or later): Quick Settings > Copilot.
• Outlook for iPhone and Android: Quick Settings > Copilot (update the app first).

The Outlook setting follows your account, so turning it off once applies on every device where you sign in with that account. Classic Outlook for Windows has no toggle yet.

What you can’t turn off or remove

Microsoft’s own pages are clear about the limits:

• Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the web, iPhone and Android: Copilot can’t be turned off there.
• Classic Outlook for Windows: no on/off option yet.
• Work or school accounts: the Microsoft 365 settings above aren’t available. Your organisation’s IT admin controls Copilot, so ask them.
• The Copilot key: Microsoft only describes remapping it, not disabling it.
• Edge: Microsoft’s article covers hiding the Copilot button; hiding it doesn’t remove Copilot from the browser.
• Hiding an icon isn’t the same as turning Copilot off. Microsoft points out that removing the Copilot icon from an app’s ribbon still leaves Copilot reachable in other ways, such as the right-click menu. Use the Enable Copilot checkbox to switch it off properly.

If you’d rather use a different AI assistant, see our list of free ChatGPT alternatives.

FAQ

How do I turn off Copilot completely?

Do it in each place: uninstall the Copilot app in Settings > Apps > Installed apps, hide the Copilot button in Edge settings, untick Enable Copilot in each Microsoft 365 app, and switch off the Copilot toggle in Outlook. A few places, such as the Word, Excel and PowerPoint mobile and web apps, can’t be switched off.

How do I turn off Copilot in Word?

On Windows, go to File > Options > Copilot, untick Enable Copilot, select OK and restart Word. On a Mac, go to Word > Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot and untick the same box.

Can I turn off the Copilot key?

Microsoft only describes remapping it. A Windows 11 setting under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard lets you make it a Context menu key or a Right Ctrl key, and some PC makers offer their own setting.

Is it safe to uninstall Copilot from Windows 11?

Yes for a personal PC: Microsoft gives the uninstall steps for the Copilot app on its own help page (Settings > Apps > Installed apps). On a work PC, check with your IT team first.

Does turning off Copilot in one Office app turn it off in all of them?

No. In Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote the checkbox works per app and per device, so repeat it in each app. Outlook is different: its toggle applies to every device signed in with your account.