How to Turn Off Copilot in Windows 11: Button, Key and App

Where is Copilot switched off in Windows 11?

Copilot is switched off in five separate places in Windows 11: the taskbar, the Copilot key setting, the installed apps list, the Edge appearance settings and the options of each Microsoft 365 app. Microsoft documents each one on a different support page, and as of November 2026 none of those pages describes one switch that covers them all.

The guide to every AI switch on a laptop lists the same controls for other tools, and the how-to hub has the rest of the guides.

How do I remove the Copilot button from the taskbar?

To remove Copilot from the taskbar, right-click the Copilot icon and choose Unpin from taskbar, then open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turn off the Ask Copilot toggle if your PC shows it. Microsoft's taskbar help page gives the unpin step for any pinned app, and its Copilot settings page names the Ask Copilot toggle.

1. 1

   Step 1: Unpin the app icon

   Right-click the Copilot icon on the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar.

   Mark step 1 done
2. 2

   Step 2: Open Taskbar settings

   Right-click an empty part of the taskbar and select Taskbar settings, or go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar.

   Mark step 2 done
3. 3

   Step 3: Turn off Ask Copilot

   If the page lists Ask Copilot, switch it off. Microsoft notes that some options depend on your account type, so the toggle may be missing on your PC.

   Mark step 3 done

Unpinning does not uninstall anything, and the keyboard shortcut still works until you change it in the next section.

How do I stop the Copilot key from opening Copilot?

To stop the Copilot key, go to Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard and pick another action. Microsoft's keyboard shortcuts page says this setting covers both the Copilot key and the Windows key+C shortcut, and that when Copilot is not available or is disabled the key opens Windows search instead.

1. 4

   Step 4: Open the setting

   Go to Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard.

   Mark step 4 done
2. 5

   Step 5: Choose what the key does

   Pick an option from the list. Microsoft's page lists options such as Search and Custom, and says the choices can differ with your account and installed apps.

   Mark step 5 done
3. 6

   Step 6: Check the taskbar toggle

   Microsoft notes that if Copilot is turned on in Taskbar settings, it overrides the option you chose for the key. Turn Ask Copilot off first.

   Mark step 6 done

On managed PCs, Microsoft's Learn page says IT admins can configure or remap the key with policy, so a work laptop may ignore your choice.

How do I uninstall the Copilot app?

To uninstall the Copilot app, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the three dots next to Copilot and choose Uninstall. Microsoft's Learn page for Copilot on Windows gives this path. Removing the app does not touch Copilot in Edge or in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, which keep their own switches.

1. 7

   Step 7: Open the apps list

   Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

   Mark step 7 done
2. 8

   Step 8: Find Copilot

   Scroll to Copilot in the list.

   Mark step 8 done
3. 9

   Step 9: Uninstall

   Select the three dots on the right side of the app, then select Uninstall from the list.

   Mark step 9 done

How do I turn off Copilot in Edge?

To hide Copilot in Edge, go to Edge > Settings > Appearance > Copilot and Sidebar, select Copilot under App specific settings, and turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar. The same screen has a second toggle, Allow Copilot to use browser content, which controls whether Copilot can read the page you have open.

This hides the button; it is not a removal. On a work profile, admins can disable Copilot Chat in Edge entirely with a policy that also blocks every other Edge sidebar app.

How do I turn off Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint?

To turn off Copilot in a Microsoft 365 app on Windows, open the app, go to File > Options > Copilot, clear the Enable Copilot checkbox, select OK, then restart the app. On a Mac the path is the app menu > Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot. The checkbox applies to that app on that device only.

Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote each need the same step, on each laptop you use, and the change applies to anybody using that device. Microsoft lists the first versions with the checkbox, starting with Word version 2412 on Windows and 16.93 on Mac, so update the app if the Copilot page is missing. Removing the Copilot icon from the ribbon does not turn Copilot off, and there is no off switch in the iOS, Android or web versions. Outlook has its own Turn on Copilot toggle under Settings > Copilot in new Outlook for Windows.

What changes on a work or school laptop?

On a work or school laptop, several of these switches are not yours to change. Microsoft states that the Enable Copilot checkbox is not available when you are signed in with a work or school account, and its Learn pages say admins decide whether Copilot is pinned, what the Copilot key does and whether Copilot Chat is allowed in Edge.

If a setting is greyed out or missing, ask your IT desk. For writing you want to keep private, the guide to AI tools and laptop privacy explains what these assistants can see. On a Copilot+ PC, also check how to turn off Windows Recall, and if a grammar tool is the real annoyance, see how to turn off Grammarly.