Thank you, Tanya.
I respond to each of your points below:
I also have a Microsoft 365 Family subscription! Pardon me, an important distinction I completely overlooked until checking back for you. A personal Microsoft account, but an Office 365 Family subscription. Noted
I can only suggest:
- Were Word (and all the other 365 apps) closed while you changed the privacy settings from Excel? Yes
- I deselected ALL the available 'connected experiences' in the privacy settings (there are three altogether - they advise turning off only two of them) I did this too.
- You are accessing these apps on the one device, using the one subscription? Yes and yes.
- You were signed in to your account while changing the settings in Excel? Then, again, signed in to Word? Its quite onerous to sign out, must admit, but worth a check? I was signed into my Microsoft account in each App.
If I were you, I'd turn the connected experiences on again, then off again in the privacy settings each app. Just in case something is over riding the settings for one app in particular. I tried this. Copilot is still active in Word, but not Excel. Interestingly, when I prompt the Copilot dropdown (RH end of the top ribbon) in Word, I get a message "Open Copilot", but it's already open!! In Excel the dropdown message is different: "Use the power of AI to explore your data. Copilot only works with files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint." I use neither OneDrive nore SharePoint.
I tried going into privacy settings from my Microsoft account - none of the relevant options available unfortunately.
You could simply try turning everything off and starting again i.e.: system restart???? I tried this, but the result was the same.
Unlike others, for whom Copilot has serious implications, I can live with it, albeit with increased blood pressure!
Hopefully, Microsoft will get the message that this is unacceptable and default Copilot OFF - and provide a simple opt-in for those who see merit in it.