This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I don't want to use the copilot features that have automatically been added to my Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PPT, etc.) - and I feel that this should be something that we are able to do, without having to purchase a subscription to copilot and then disable it.
How can I disable these features, to stop the shadow offer to use copilot on every new line I start on a word document and remove the icon from the tool bar?
This should be something that is an optional add on, rather than a mandated installation.
A family of Microsoft word processing software products for creating web, email, and print documents.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
The first video is irrelevant.
The second offers a solution, however that might impact Word and or other apps.
One can always use the standalone Copilot or it is built into Edge.
Do you have Microsoft 365? I use a Home Use license. This does not work for me. In my screen capture, my preferences are the smaller window on the right. The left/behind window is from the video. Note: I checked and my version of Word is the latest.
Barbara
OK. To everyone that is using Mac Word, I have found a way to actually disable the Icon in the document.
*** can now say, that the annoying thing has gone - yay!
What happened when you clicked on the CoPilot icon in your Authoring and Proofing tools? (The background Preferences dialog on your screenshot)
Turning off connected experiences (first video) seems like throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
I understand how frustrating this is, especially with the lack of documentation and communication.
By the way, there are a whole bunch of different "latest" versions of Word floating around. What helps people here identify what you have is the number.
Do you have Microsoft 365? I use a Home Use license. This does not work for me. In my screen capture, my preferences are the smaller window on the right. The left/behind window is from the video. Note: I checked and my version of Word is the latest.
Barbara
OK. To everyone that is using Mac Word, I have found a way to actually disable the Icon in the document.
The first video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj3IczVJRiU
Then, you will want to watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnjn76nu1Cw
I can now say, that the annoying thing has gone - yay!
My biggest issue is just seeing that prompt "Select the icon or press " "+/ to draft with Copilot" starting back at every blank page. I'm aware when you start typing it goes away.. but the little AI Copilot icon does not. It never goes away. A little reminder... "Over here! I'm AI...! if you need me...! "
I don't want AI, ever, in any way shape or form in my Word. Not that hard to understand. I'm sure millions may want it. But the entire point of why people are miffed is just because it would be the most simple thing of all time to add a way to cleanly opt out of it - and never see it again - right from the start.
And they didn't do that. So it's just really stupid and has me considering Google Docs and giving up MS Word but I'm not sure...
Just be aware that the solution presented in that first video disables far more than Copilot. Further, it impacts features in all office programs, not only those in Word. The provider of that video doesn't bother to mention that. See this Microsoft Support article for details: Connected experiences in Office
Copilot is like almost every other tool in the software — just because it's there doesn't mean it has to be used. I'm not crazy about it either, but the feature is dormant unless a user chooses to take advantage of it. IMO Disabling Connected Experiences is like throwing the baby out with the bath water.