Blog · October 31, 2026

How to Turn Off Copilot on Windows 11

Copilot shows up in several places on a Windows 11 PC: as an app, on the taskbar, behind a keyboard key, in Microsoft Edge, and inside Word, Excel and PowerPoint. There is no single switch that turns all of it off at once. Each place has its own setting, and Microsoft documents most of them.

This guide collects those settings in one place. Every step below comes from Microsoft’s own support or Learn pages, linked next to it, and uses Microsoft’s wording for menu names. Some people want Copilot off entirely; others want it out of the way in one app. Pick the sections you need.

Checked against Microsoft’s pages on Oct 31, 2026. Menus and option names change across Windows versions and updates, and some settings roll out gradually, so what you see may differ. If a setting isn’t where this guide says, check the linked Microsoft page for the latest wording.

Quick answer

Remove the Copilot app: Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the three dots next to Copilot, then Uninstall.
Hide it from the taskbar: Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, then turn off the Ask Copilot toggle.
Change the Copilot key: Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard.
Edge: turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar in Edge’s Copilot and sidebar settings.
Word, Excel, PowerPoint: File > Options > Copilot, then clear Enable Copilot.
Businesses: use the Microsoft-documented policies in the admin section below.

1. Uninstall the Copilot app

On Windows 11, Copilot is an app, and Microsoft documents removing it like other apps. Microsoft’s Learn page says users "can uninstall the Copilot app by going to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Select the three dots appearing on the right side of the app and select Uninstall from the dropdown list." (Microsoft Learn: Updated Windows and Microsoft Copilot Chat experience)

Steps:

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Find Copilot in the list.
Select the three dots next to it, then select Uninstall.

Microsoft’s general guide to removing apps also lists an option from the Start menu: select Start > All apps, find the app, then "press and hold (or right-click) on the app, then select Uninstall." (Microsoft Support: Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows)

Good to know: the app can be reinstalled later from the Microsoft Store. Microsoft’s Learn page notes that if the app picker for the Copilot key doesn’t include the Microsoft Copilot app, users "should reinstall it from the Microsoft Store."

2. Remove Copilot from the taskbar

Microsoft documents Copilot’s taskbar setting as a toggle under Personalization > Taskbar named Ask Copilot. The steps on Microsoft’s accessibility page describe turning it on; turning the same toggle off reverses it. (Microsoft Support: Use a screen reader to manage Copilot settings in Windows)

Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
Select Personalization > Taskbar.
Turn off the Ask Copilot toggle.

The same Microsoft page notes: "If Copilot is turned on in Taskbar settings, it overrides the option selected in Customise Copilot key on keyboard." So if you want the Copilot key to do something else, turn this toggle off first.

3. Change what the Copilot key does

Many newer laptops have a dedicated Copilot key. You can point it somewhere else. Microsoft’s Learn page says the setting is under Settings > Personalization > Text input, in a dropdown called Customize Copilot key on keyboard. (Microsoft Learn: Updated Windows and Microsoft Copilot Chat experience) Microsoft’s keyboard shortcuts page lists what the Copilot key does by default. (Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Windows)

Open Settings > Personalization > Text input.
Open Customize Copilot key on keyboard.
Choose Search, or Custom to pick another app. Microsoft lists these options as "Search, Custom, or a currently mapped app if one is selected." (Microsoft Learn)

Microsoft also says a Windows 11 update adds an option to remap the key to the Right Ctrl or Context menu key under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard, and that options vary by device maker. (Microsoft Support: Understand updates to the Copilot key on Windows devices)

4. Turn off Copilot in Microsoft Edge

Edge has its own Copilot button and settings, separate from Windows.

Hide the Copilot button: Microsoft’s Edge troubleshooting page lists the setting at edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar: "Under App specific settings, find and select Copilot," where you’ll find the toggle Show Copilot button on the toolbar. (Microsoft Learn: Troubleshoot Copilot icon not showing in Edge sidebar)

In Edge, go to edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar.
Under App specific settings, select Copilot.
Turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar.

Stop Copilot from using your browsing: Microsoft says to go to "the More menu (…) in the Edge toolbar, then select Copilot and AI, and turn off Allow Copilot to read context clues on the web." (Microsoft Support: Getting started with Copilot in Microsoft Edge)

5. Turn off Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint (personal accounts)

For people signed in with a personal Microsoft account, Microsoft documents an Enable Copilot checkbox in each app. (Microsoft Support: Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps)

In the app (for example, Excel), go to File > Options > Copilot.
Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
Select OK, then close and restart the app.

Points from the same Microsoft page:

"There is a separate Enable Copilot checkbox in each app and the checkbox only applies to that app on that device." Repeat it in each app, on each PC.
Outlook works differently: it uses a Turn on Copilot toggle, covered on the same page.
"You can’t turn off Copilot in the iOS, Android, or web versions of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint."
The settings "aren’t available if you’re signed in with a work or school account." Work accounts are managed by your organization’s admin.

6. Copilot Actions and experimental agentic features

Copilot Actions is an agent-style Copilot feature that can carry out tasks for you. Microsoft describes it as "an experimental feature called Copilot Actions available to Windows insiders in Copilot Labs." Our Copilot Actions guide covers what it can do and how to control it. It runs on a Windows setting called Experimental agentic features. (Microsoft Support: Experimental Agentic Features)

Microsoft says "the experimental agentic features setting is off by default," and that it "can only be enabled by an administrative user of the device and once enabled, it’s enabled for all users on the device."

To turn it off, Microsoft’s page says: "In the Settings app on your Windows device, select System > AI Components > Experimental agentic features," then "Turn the setting off."

To manage what individual agents can reach instead of turning everything off, Microsoft points to System > AI Components > Agents, where "a dedicated Settings page for each agent allows you to manage file access permissions and enable the connectors an agent needs."

Microsoft’s known-issues notes on the same page give this workaround when Copilot Actions conversations are still active: "Close any Copilot Actions conversations or close Copilot by selecting it from the tray, right clicking it and selecting ’Quit’."

We cover agentic features in more depth in Windows 11 agentic AI: what it is and how to turn it off, and stopping any running agent, not only Copilot, in how to stop an AI agent on Windows 11.

7. Recall: stop snapshots or remove it

Recall is a separate Windows feature on some Copilot+ PCs that saves snapshots of your screen so you can search them later. Microsoft says each user opts in, and "if you don’t choose to opt in, it will be off by default and snapshots will not be saved." (Microsoft Support: Privacy and control over your Recall experience)

Stop saving snapshots: the control is the Save snapshots option under Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots. Set it to Off.

Remove Recall: Microsoft says "you can also remove Recall by using Turn Windows features on or off in Windows."

Snapshot storage and deletion options are on the same Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots page, per Microsoft Support: Manage your Recall snapshots and disk space.

8. For businesses: admin and Group Policy options

These options are for IT admins on managed PCs, documented on Microsoft Learn. Edition support varies by policy, so check each page before rolling one out.

Remove the Copilot app with a policy. The RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp setting in the WindowsAI Policy CSP "allows you to uninstall Microsoft Copilot from devices in a targeted way." It applies only when "Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are both installed; the Microsoft Copilot app wasn’t installed by the user; the Microsoft Copilot app wasn’t launched in the last 28 days." Microsoft adds: "Users can still re-install if they choose to." The page lists Windows 11, version 24H2 and later. The page lists no friendly Group Policy menu path for it; its group policy mapping shows only the CSP path "WindowsAI > AT > WindowsComponents > WindowsAI." (Microsoft Learn: WindowsAI Policy CSP) Microsoft’s documentation lists this policy for managed Enterprise and Education devices; edition details on the page differ, so check the policy page for your edition before relying on it.

Prevent the app from being installed or launched with AppLocker. Microsoft’s Learn page says admins can "Configure AppLocker policy" using the publisher "CN=MICROSOFT CORPORATION, O=MICROSOFT CORPORATION, L=REDMOND, S=WASHINGTON, C=US" and package name "MICROSOFT.COPILOT." It also documents a PowerShell removal using Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.Copilot" and Remove-AppxPackage. (Microsoft Learn: Updated Windows and Microsoft Copilot Chat experience)

The legacy "Turn off Windows Copilot" policy. You may see this one in older guides: User Configuration > Windows Components > Windows Copilot > Turn off Windows Copilot (TurnOffWindowsCopilot). Microsoft’s CSP page notes it "isn’t for the new Copilot experience," and the Learn page says AppLocker "should be used instead" because the legacy policy "is subject to near-term deprecation."

Uninstall policy through Edge Update. For domain-joined PCs, Microsoft documents a Specify uninstall behavior for Copilot policy under "Administrative Templates/Microsoft Edge Update/Microsoft Copilot." (Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Copilot update policies for Windows)

Recall on managed PCs. Microsoft says "by default, Recall is disabled for managed commercial devices." The AllowRecallEnablement policy ("Allow Recall to be enabled") removes the Recall component when disabled, and DisableAIDataAnalysis ("Turn off saving snapshots for use with Recall") stops snapshots. (Microsoft Learn: WindowsAI Policy CSP)

For a policy view of AI tools across a small team, see our AI agent policy for small business guide.

After you turn Copilot off

Check again after big updates. Microsoft notes the Copilot app "is automatically enabled after you install the Windows updates" listed on its Learn page unless a policy was set first.
Each setting covers one place. Removing the app doesn’t change Edge or Office settings, and the reverse is also true.
Other AI tools are separate. Turning off Copilot doesn’t affect AI apps or agents from other companies. Our guide on how to tell if an AI agent is running shows where to look.

How PERCARIS helps

Copilot settings cover Microsoft’s assistant. Other AI agents on a PC are a separate question. PERCARIS surfaces recognized AI-agent activity on your Windows computer and gives you a Stop control for agents you did not authorize. PERCARIS recognizes known AI tools. It won’t flag every AI agent.

You decide whether to press Stop. PERCARIS works alongside your existing security tools, and each Windows PC is managed on its own. You can read more on how it works.

Plans cover a single PC, a few PCs or a small business. For 26 or more PCs, contact support@percaris.com. See plans.

FAQ

How do I turn off Copilot on Windows 11?

Uninstall the Copilot app from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, turn off the Ask Copilot toggle in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, and change the Copilot key in Settings > Personalization > Text input. Edge and Office apps have their own settings.

Can I disable Copilot completely?

There is no single switch. Microsoft documents a separate setting for the app, the taskbar, the key, Edge, each Office app and, for businesses, admin policies. Use the ones that fit how you use your PC.

Will Copilot come back after a Windows update?

It can. Microsoft's Learn page notes that the Copilot app is automatically enabled after certain Windows updates unless a policy was set beforehand, so check your settings after major updates.

Can I turn off Copilot in Word and Excel?

Yes, with a personal Microsoft account on Windows or Mac: File > Options > Copilot, then clear Enable Copilot in each app. Microsoft says this isn't available in the web or mobile versions, or for work or school accounts.

Is Copilot Actions the same as Copilot?

Copilot Actions is an experimental agent feature that uses Windows' Experimental agentic features setting, which Microsoft says is off by default. You can turn it off at System > AI Components > Experimental agentic features.

Sources

Checked against each Microsoft page on October 31, 2026. Menus and option names change across Windows versions and updates.

— The PERCARIS Team