Disable Copilot in Windows 11 Settings

You can turn off Copilot in Windows 11 through the system settings. The button sits in your taskbar by default, and disabling it removes both the button and the AI assistant from your system. This is the most straightforward method and takes about two minutes.

Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I on your keyboard. Navigate to System in the left sidebar, then select Copilot. You will see a toggle labeled "Copilot" at the top of the page. Click it to turn the feature off. Once you do this, the Copilot button disappears from your taskbar immediately.

If you do not see a Copilot section in Settings, your version of Windows 11 may not have the feature installed yet, or it has already been disabled. Check that you are running Windows 11 version 23H2 or later by going to Settings > System > About and looking at the "Windows version" field.

Key Takeaways

  • The fastest way to disable Copilot is through Settings > System > Copilot, where a single toggle turns it off.
  • Disabling Copilot in Settings removes the taskbar button and stops the assistant from running in the background.
  • If you only want to hide the taskbar button without fully disabling Copilot, you can right-click the button and select "Unpin from taskbar".
  • Some versions of Windows 11 do not have Copilot available yet, so the Settings option may not appear on your device.

Hide the Copilot Button Without Disabling It

If you want to keep Copilot running but remove the button from your taskbar, you can unpin it instead of disabling it entirely. This leaves the feature active in the background but gets it out of your way.

Right-click the Copilot button in your taskbar (it looks like a sparkle icon). A menu will appear with the option "Unpin from taskbar". Click it, and the button vanishes. Copilot itself remains installed and enabled in your system settings, so you can still access it later if you change your mind.

This approach is useful if you think you might want to use Copilot occasionally but do not want it taking up space on your taskbar every day. You can always pin it back by going to Settings > System > Copilot and toggling it back on, or by searching for "Copilot" in the Windows search bar.

Remove Copilot Using Group Policy (Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise)

If you are running Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education edition, you can disable Copilot using Group Policy, which is a more permanent system-level setting. This method prevents Copilot from being re-enabled accidentally and is often used by IT administrators managing multiple computers.

Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter. This opens the Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot. Look for the policy labeled "Turn off Windows Copilot" and double-click it.

A window will open with three options: Not Configured, Enabled, and Disabled. Select Enabled to turn off Copilot system-wide. Click Apply and then OK. You may need to restart your computer for the change to take full effect. This method overrides the regular Settings toggle, so Copilot will remain off even if someone tries to turn it back on through Settings.

Note: Group Policy Editor is not available on Windows 11 Home edition. If you have Home edition, use the Settings method described in the first section instead.

Disable Copilot in Microsoft Edge

Copilot also appears in Microsoft Edge as a sidebar button. You can turn it off separately from the Windows system version, which is useful if you want to keep Copilot on your computer but remove it from your browser.

Open Microsoft Edge and look for the Copilot button in the top-right corner (it looks like a sparkle icon). Click the button to open the Copilot panel. At the top of the panel, click the three-dot menu icon and select Settings. Toggle off the option that says "Show Copilot in Edge". Close the panel, and the button will no longer appear in your browser.

If you want to disable Copilot in Edge more completely, you can also go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Sidebar and turn off the toggle for "Copilot". This removes it from the sidebar entirely and prevents it from loading when you open the browser.

What Happens When You Disable Copilot

When you turn off Copilot through Settings, the taskbar button disappears immediately and Copilot stops running in the background. This frees up a small amount of system memory and removes the feature from your daily workflow. You will not see Copilot suggestions or notifications after disabling it.

Disabling Copilot does not delete any files or settings from your computer. If you change your mind later, you can turn it back on by going to Settings > System > Copilot and toggling it on again. Your Windows installation remains intact and unaffected.

If you disabled Copilot using Group Policy, the process is the same: open Group Policy Editor, navigate back to the Copilot policy, select Disabled or Not Configured, and click Apply. The system will re-enable Copilot on your next restart.

Troubleshooting: Copilot Button Keeps Reappearing

Sometimes after disabling Copilot, the button reappears after a Windows update. This happens because major updates can reset certain system settings. If this occurs, simply go back to Settings > System > Copilot and toggle it off again.

If you are using Group Policy and Copilot keeps reappearing despite the policy being set to Enabled, check that you applied the setting to the correct policy location. Open Group Policy Editor again and verify that the "Turn off Windows Copilot" policy shows Enabled in the Status column. If it shows Not Configured, the setting did not save properly — double-click it again and make sure to click Apply before closing.

Another reason Copilot might reappear is if Windows updates the Group Policy templates on your system. After a major update, open Group Policy Editor and re-apply the setting to ensure it remains disabled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling Copilot improve my computer's performance?

Copilot uses a small amount of system memory and processing power, but the impact on most computers is minimal. Disabling it will free up a tiny amount of resources, but you likely will not notice a significant speed improvement unless your computer is already running very low on memory. The main reason to disable Copilot is personal preference rather than performance gain.

Can I disable Copilot on Windows 10?

Copilot is only available on Windows 11 version 23H2 and later. Windows 10 does not have Copilot built into the operating system, so there is nothing to disable. If you are using Windows 10, you will not see a Copilot button or feature.

Will disabling Copilot affect other Microsoft features?

No. Disabling Copilot does not affect Cortana, search, or any other Windows features. Copilot is a separate system component, and turning it off only removes that specific feature. Your computer will continue to function normally in every other way.

What if I want to use Copilot again after disabling it?

You can re-enable Copilot at any time by going to Settings > System > Copilot and toggling it back on. If you used Group Policy to disable it, open Group Policy Editor, navigate to the Copilot policy, select Disabled or Not Configured, and apply the change. Copilot will be available again on your next restart.

Is there a way to disable Copilot without using Settings?

Yes. If you have Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can use Group Policy Editor as described in the third section. For Home edition, the Settings method is the standard approach. You can also unpin the Copilot button from your taskbar without fully disabling it, which hides it from view while keeping the feature active.