Remove Copilot from Word

Copilot in menu

But it isn't OFF is it. It is "disabled" with no warranty that it is not active in the background collecting and sending information. And now the Copilot Icon has started appearing (faded out) in Word on the right hand side of the Menu (Office365 of Mac). Although it is faded out, when I clicked on it I got a popup identifying as "google updater" which disappeared after a few seconds.

We are paying for something we don't want, and it is being used in spite of supposed disablement.

Nasty.

This has been a recent development for Word only at this point, with possible roll out to other apps like PPT and Excel later.

EDIT -- Apparently, as of Feb 24, it now applies to PPT and Excel, or so says the Microsoft help page.

But this still means that copilot is being paid for. This is an opt-out rather than opt-in. So you get stung for the price of something most didn't ask for and most do not want or need.

If you roll back to the now called 'Classic' version you do not get other updates for stuff that may be useful - such as making files inclusive through accessibility updates.

ABC News has an article about the backlash.

This has been a recent development for Word only at this point, with possible roll out to other apps like PPT and Excel later.

EDIT -- Actually as of Feb 24 it now applies to PPT and Excel, or so says the Microsoft help page.

But this still means that copilot is being paid for. This is an opt-out rather than opt-in. So you get stung for the price of something most didn't ask for and most do not want or need.

If you roll back to the now called 'Classic' version you do not get other updates for stuff that may be useful - such as making files inclusive through accessibility updates.

ABC News has an article about the backlash.

Easy to turn off in Word.

Open Word, click on “Option” (lower LH corner of screen), select “copilot “ and then “Off”