How do you get rid of the floating Copilot icon that likes to float over the lower right hand side of an Excel Spreadsheet?

KarlBirch-1179 40 Reputation points
2026-05-11T18:59:48.1233333+00:00

I don't find any usefulness in Copilot as it has lead me astray multiple times. How do I remove the floating icon that hangs out on my spreadsheets in the lower left hand corners? It has become an intolerable annoyance.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

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Tamara-Hu 17,960 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-05-18T12:19:47.45+00:00

Hi @KarlBirch-1179 and everyone.

I completely understand how this behavior can be frustrating, especially when it impacts the way you expect the product to work or fit into your workflow. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, it’s truly valuable.

At the moment, this behavior is part of the product’s current built-in design and is not considered a bug. I understand this may be unexpected or could lead to some confusion, especially if it differs from what you were hoping to see. I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.

If you’d like to see improvements or changes in how this works, the most effective step is to share your feedback directly with the product team, using my previous answer. They will carefully review user feedback to better understand real-world needs, and your input can play an important role in shaping future updates, design enhancements, or official guidance.

Your voice genuinely helps influence the direction of the product, so I strongly encourage you to submit feedback when possible.

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  1. Tamara-Hu 17,960 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-12T10:30:55.11+00:00

    Hello @Karl Birch, 

    Good day! I hope you are doing well. 

    I understand how frustrating it must be when you’re unable to hide the Copilot icon. I can see how this can impact your experience, especially if it’s not something you need or want visible. Please know that your feedback is valid, and you’re not alone in feeling this way. While current options may be limited, I’ll do my best to help explore any available solutions, workarounds or share updates as they become available.

    To help provide the most accurate and effective solution, could you please share a bit more information about your setup: 

    • Are you using Excel for the Web (in a browser) or the Excel desktop app? 
    • If desktop, are you only see it on Windows or macOS as well?  
    • What is the Excel version (File > Account > About Excel)? 
    • Is your goal to temporarily minimize the Copilot icon, or to disable Copilot entirely, if possible? 
    • Could you please share a screenshot of the icon? This will help me better understand and confirm the behavior you’re seeing.

    This additional context will help me better understand your environment and ensure any guidance provided is relevant and accurate.   

    In the meantime, if you see the Copilot icon like the one shown in this image,

    User's image

    you can minimize it using the Dock option: 

    • Right‑click the Copilot icon in the bottom‑right corner of the worksheet 
    • Select Dock 

    User's image

    • The Copilot interface will collapse and stop floating over the cells 

    User's image

    Please note that this action minimizes the icon for the current session only. When the page is refreshed or a new workbook is opened, the icon may appear again.   

    I apologize if I was unable to jump straight to a permanent solution right away. I want to avoid suggesting steps that may be inaccurate or unsupported in your specific setup. Once I have the details above, I’ll be able to assist you more effectively and guide you toward the most appropriate resolution. 

    I appreciate your patience and look forward to your response so we can get this sorted out together. 

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment". 

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-05-11T19:00:04.29+00:00

    To remove or disable the Copilot experience in Excel and stop the floating Copilot UI from appearing, turn off Copilot for Excel on that device using the in-app setting.

    On Windows Excel:

    1. Open Excel.
    2. Go to File > Options > Copilot.
    3. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
    4. Select OK, then close and restart Excel.

    On Mac Excel:

    1. Open Excel.
    2. From the Excel menu, go to Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot.
    3. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
    4. Close and restart Excel.

    Notes:

    • The Enable Copilot checkbox is per app and per device. If Excel is used on multiple devices, repeat these steps on each device.
    • If the checkbox is not available yet in Excel on that device, Copilot can only be turned off by changing account privacy settings as described in the same article.
    • Removing the Copilot icon from the ribbon alone does not turn Copilot off; the feature remains available through other entry points, so use the Enable Copilot checkbox instead.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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