Want to get rid of Copilot? Here's how, and the catches

If you have no use for Microsoft's AI assistant Copilot, you can largely turn it off. But it requires doing so in several places, and in some cases it can't be done at all.

The catches first

Copilot can't be turned off in the iOS, Android or web versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Microsoft says.

The setting also applies per app and per device. That means you have to turn Copilot off separately in each app. If you turn it off on a device, it applies to all users on that device.

Microsoft's page states that the option is available when you sign in with a personal Microsoft account, not a work or school account. The sources do not make clear how it works with work and school accounts.

In Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote

On Windows, go to File > Options > Copilot, clear the "Enable Copilot" checkbox, click OK and restart the app.

On Mac, you'll find the setting under the app menu > Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot. Clear the "Enable Copilot" checkbox and restart the app. According to an independent guide from Pureinfotech, on Mac this can only be done in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, not OneNote.

If the checkbox is missing, the app needs to be updated. Microsoft cites version requirements as of March 13, 2025, for example Word 2412 or later on Windows. Alternatively, you can turn off "experiences that analyze your content" in the account's privacy settings. However, that also removes other features, such as suggested replies, text suggestions and PowerPoint Designer.

In Outlook

Outlook uses a toggle, "Turn on Copilot," instead of a checkbox. It is available in Outlook for Android, iOS, Mac, web and the new Outlook for Windows. Here the setting follows the account, so it applies on all devices where you're signed in with the same account.

In Windows itself

In Windows, Copilot can be turned off under Settings (Win+I) > Personalization > Taskbar, but the option isn't available in all Windows versions, Secure Data Recovery writes.

On Windows Pro and Enterprise, you can use the group policy "Turn off Windows Copilot." On Home, you can create a registry value, DisableCopilot = 1. The guide warns that errors here can cause instability.

Ending copilot.exe in Task Manager is only temporary and has to be repeated after a restart. According to Secure Data Recovery, Windows Update can also turn Copilot back on, so you have to turn it off again.

Version numbers and steps date from March 2025 and may have changed since.