How to actually disable Copilot

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How to actually disable Copilot

Mo B 0

I have disabled and uninstalled Copilot on my account several times, just for it to reappear when the page refreshes. This happens even whenever I save "turn off Copilot" as my preference and when I straight up uninstall the feature. It's honestly quite frustrating and a little shady that what I do as a user doesn't actually make a difference. How do I actually turn it off and keep it off?

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Answer 1

To keep Copilot turned off, use the in‑app Copilot controls where they exist, and fall back to privacy settings or app removal where they do not. The exact method depends on the product and platform.

Turn off Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote (desktop)

For Microsoft 365 apps on Windows and Mac that support the Enable Copilot checkbox:

Open the app (for example, Word).
Go to the Copilot settings area and clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
Repeat this in each app where Copilot should be disabled (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote). The checkbox is per‑app and per‑device, so it must be turned off in each app on each device.
When Copilot is turned off in an app, the Copilot icon on the ribbon is disabled and Copilot capabilities in that app are unavailable.

If the Enable Copilot checkbox is not visible, verify the app version meets the minimums where the checkbox is available (for example, Word on Windows Version 2412 or later; Word on Mac Version 16.93 or later). If needed, update the apps using the documented update process.

Turn off Copilot in Outlook

Outlook uses a different control: a Turn on Copilot toggle.

As of the documented versions:

Android/iOS/Mac: Go to Quick Settings > Copilot and turn off Turn on Copilot.
Web: Go to Settings > Copilot and turn off Turn on Copilot.
Windows (new Outlook): Go to Settings > Copilot and turn off Turn on Copilot.

This Outlook toggle applies to that account across all devices where the same account is signed in. Turning it off once (in a supported Outlook client) should keep Copilot off for that account in Outlook on other platforms that honor the same setting.

If the in‑app Copilot controls are not available: use privacy settings

If the Enable Copilot checkbox is not yet available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote, Copilot can be effectively turned off by disabling content‑analyzing connected experiences. This also turns off other cloud features that analyze content.

On Windows:

In any Microsoft 365 app (for example, PowerPoint), go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings.
Under Connected experiences, clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content.
Select OK, then close and restart the app.
This only needs to be done once; the change applies to other Microsoft 365 apps the next time they are opened.

On Mac:

In any Microsoft 365 app (for example, Word), open the app menu and go to Preferences > Personal Settings > Privacy.
In the Privacy dialog, go to Connected Experiences > Manage Connected Experiences.
Clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content.
Select OK, then close and restart the app.
As on Windows, this only needs to be done once; other apps pick up the setting when opened.

Note: Using privacy settings disables Copilot and other features that analyze content (such as suggested replies in Outlook, text predictions in Word, PowerPoint Designer, and automatic alt text for images).

Remove the Microsoft Copilot app on Windows (consumer Copilot app)

If the issue is the standalone Microsoft Copilot app on Windows (not just Copilot inside Office apps), it can be removed so it does not reappear:

On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps.
Locate the Copilot app.
Select the three dots next to it and choose Uninstall.

For managed/enterprise environments, IT administrators can prevent installation or remove the Copilot app using AppLocker policy configured with the Microsoft.Copilot package identity, instead of the legacy TurnOffWindowsCopilot policy.

If the icon remains but Copilot is disabled

In some Office builds, the Copilot icon may remain visible but dimmed even after Copilot is disabled. This indicates Copilot is off functionally, even if the icon is still present. In some cases, Office updates (for example, specific build updates mentioned in support answers) remove intrusive Copilot UI elements; ensuring the latest channel build is installed can help if the UI persists despite Copilot being disabled.

References:

How to *actually* disable Copilot

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