Share via

What did you do with rewrite

robert ponzio 0 Reputation points
2026-05-07T20:11:32.14+00:00

Don't fix what is not broken. Rewrite on word work flawlessly. It was quick, the 2-3 options were spot on, and it was seamless. Now, I want to turn off copilot. It is clunky, slow, adds time, and I have not used one of the suggestions. Plainly speaking, it is a flop....

Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Development
0 comments

1 answer

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-05-07T20:11:46.7966667+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    Word now surfaces rewriting through Copilot, but the underlying capability is still there and can be used in a way that is close to the previous “Rewrite” experience, or Copilot can be disabled/hidden depending on platform and build.

    To get behavior closest to classic Rewrite in Word:

    1. Use Auto Rewrite on selected text
      • Select the text to improve.
      • In the left margin next to the selection, select the Copilot icon.
      • Choose Auto Rewrite.
      • Copilot shows multiple rewritten options; use < and > to cycle through them.
      • Choose Replace to overwrite the original text or Insert below to keep both.
    2. Use Writing suggestions instead of full Copilot drafting
      • Highlight a section (or nothing, to analyze the whole document).
      • Select Draft with Copilot → Writing suggestions.
      • Review the suggested changes, uncheck any that are not wanted, then select Apply selected suggestions.
      • Select Generate, then either Keep it (insert below) or Replace.
        This keeps suggestions separate from the original content and avoids long, chat-style prompts.

    If the goal is to turn Copilot off or at least remove the intrusive in-document icon:

    1. Disable Copilot in Word for Mac (Microsoft 365 subscription)
      • Go to Word → Preferences.
      • In Authoring & Proofing Tools, select Copilot.
      • Clear the check box for Enable Copilot.
        Copilot remains visible on the Home tab but is dimmed and inactive.
    2. Remove the new in-document Copilot icon (Word desktop, recent builds)
      • Install the 16.103.1 update (Current Channel (Preview) first; broader release follows).
      • This update removes the intrusive Copilot logo that appears in the lower-right of the document window and the in-document popup that many users find distracting.
    3. If Copilot is disabled but the icon still appears
      • Confirm the Word build is at least 16.103.1.
      • After updating, restart Word; the in-document Copilot logo should no longer appear even if Copilot is present in the ribbon.

    These steps let rewriting stay fast and focused (via Auto Rewrite/Writing suggestions) while minimizing or disabling the Copilot UI that is adding friction.

    References:

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.