Copilot in Word can be disabled through your account settings or by turning off the feature in your ribbon

Microsoft Word includes Copilot by default in recent versions, but you can remove it from view or disable it entirely. The fastest method depends on whether you want to hide the button temporarily or prevent it from running at all. Most users can disable it in under a minute through Word's ribbon customization or through their Microsoft account settings.

If you have a work or school account, your organization may control whether Copilot is available — in that case, the setting may be grayed out or absent. Personal Microsoft accounts (Outlook.com, Hotmail, or a personal Microsoft 365 subscription) give you full control over the feature.

Key Takeaways

  • The quickest way to remove Copilot from Word is to right-click the Copilot button in the ribbon and select "Remove from ribbon".
  • If you want to disable Copilot entirely rather than just hide it, go to File > Account > Privacy Settings and toggle off "Copilot and generative AI experiences".
  • Work or school accounts may not allow you to disable Copilot if your organization has enabled it — contact your IT department if the setting is unavailable.
  • Disabling Copilot does not affect other Word features or your document's ability to save and sync normally.

Remove the Copilot button from your ribbon

The simplest way to stop seeing Copilot in Word is to remove its button from the ribbon at the top of the screen. This hides the feature but does not disable it completely — Copilot remains installed and could be re-enabled later if you change your mind.

Right-click the Copilot button (it looks like a small icon with a sparkle or "C" symbol, usually on the right side of the ribbon). Select "Remove from ribbon" from the menu that appears. The button disappears immediately, and you will no longer see Copilot prompts or suggestions in your document.

If you cannot find the Copilot button, it may already be hidden, or your version of Word may not display it in the ribbon. Check your Word version by going to File > Account > About Word — Copilot is available in Word for Microsoft 365 (the subscription version) on Windows and Mac, typically in versions from late 2023 onward.

Disable Copilot through privacy settings

To turn off Copilot more completely, go to File > Account > Privacy Settings. Look for the section labeled "Copilot and generative AI experiences" and toggle it off. This prevents Copilot from running in the background and stops it from analyzing your documents.

This setting applies to your entire Microsoft account across all Office applications, not just Word. If you turn it off here, Copilot will also be disabled in Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other Microsoft 365 apps on any device where you sign in with the same account.

The toggle may take a few minutes to take effect. If you still see Copilot after toggling it off, close Word completely and reopen it. If the setting remains grayed out or unavailable, your organization controls this feature and you will need to contact your IT department or administrator to request that it be disabled.

Check your organization's Copilot policy

If you use Word through a work or school account, your organization may have enabled Copilot as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription and locked the setting so you cannot disable it yourself. In this case, the privacy toggle will appear grayed out or will not appear at all.

Contact your IT department or help desk and explain that you want Copilot disabled. They can turn it off for your account or your entire organization. Some organizations allow individual users to opt out, while others require a blanket policy change.

If your organization uses Copilot Pro or Copilot for Microsoft 365 (the enterprise version), the controls are managed through your admin center, and individual users typically cannot change them without administrator approval.

What happens when you disable Copilot

Disabling Copilot does not affect any other Word features. Your documents save and sync normally, your formatting and templates work as before, and you can still use Track Changes, Comments, and all other collaboration tools. The only change is that you will no longer see Copilot suggestions or be able to open the Copilot pane.

If you change your mind later, you can re-enable Copilot by going back to File > Account > Privacy Settings and toggling it back on, or by right-clicking the ribbon and selecting "Add to ribbon" if you removed the button. There is no penalty or limitation for turning it off and back on.

Copilot on Mac versus Windows

The steps to disable Copilot are the same on both Windows and Mac versions of Word. The ribbon layout is identical, and the privacy settings are in the same location. If you use Word on both devices with the same Microsoft account, disabling Copilot through privacy settings will turn it off on both machines.

If you only remove the button from the ribbon on one device, the button will still appear on your other devices. To remove it everywhere, use the privacy settings toggle instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Copilot slow down Word or make it run faster?

Disabling Copilot may free up a small amount of memory and processing power, but most users will not notice a significant speed difference. Word's performance depends much more on document size, the number of open files, and your computer's hardware. If Word feels slow, the issue is rarely Copilot alone.

Can I disable Copilot just in Word but keep it in Excel or PowerPoint?

No. The privacy setting in File > Account > Privacy Settings controls Copilot across all Microsoft 365 applications at once. If you want to disable it only in Word, your only option is to remove the button from the ribbon, which hides it but does not fully disable it. To turn off Copilot in just one app, you would need to use a work account where your organization has configured app-specific policies.

What if the Copilot button comes back after I remove it?

Microsoft sometimes re-adds Copilot to the ribbon after a Word update. If this happens, simply right-click it again and remove it. You can also disable it permanently through privacy settings to prevent it from reappearing.

Does my organization have to tell me if they have disabled Copilot for me?

No. Your IT department may disable Copilot without notifying you. If you cannot find the Copilot button or the privacy toggle is grayed out, contact your IT support team to confirm whether Copilot is blocked by policy.