How do I enable or disable Microsoft Copilot on MS 365 Premium

Alan Unkovich 0 Reputation points
2026-02-28T02:27:58.17+00:00

As Administrator how do I enable and disable Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Development

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  1. AI answer

    2026-02-28T02:28:11.5333333+00:00

    As admin, Copilot must first be licensed, then access can be controlled at several levels: tenant, app, and per‑user/group.

    1. Verify and assign Copilot licenses
    • Ensure users who should have Copilot have a supported Microsoft 365 subscription and a Copilot license assigned.
    • If Copilot is missing or disabled for a user, confirm:
    1. Enable/disable Copilot for admins in Microsoft 365 admin centers
    • Copilot for admins is automatically enabled for all admin users if the tenant has at least one Copilot license.
    • To disable Copilot for specific admins:
      • Create a security group named CopilotForM365AdminExclude.
      • Add the admins who should not see Copilot in admin centers to this group.
      • Microsoft 365 admin centers will disable the Copilot experience for any admin in this group.
    • Copilot respects role-based access control and does not make configuration changes without explicit consent.
    1. Control Copilot access in Viva apps (per people/groups) To enable or disable Copilot in Viva apps for specific users or groups:
    2. Go to the Copilot settings page in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
    3. Choose the Viva app for which access should be controlled.
    4. Under Custom policies for people and groups, select Create policy.
    5. Name the policy (for example, “Disable for users in office X”).
    6. Choose one of:
      • Off for specific people – disables Copilot in that Viva app only for the selected users/groups.
      • On for specific people – enables Copilot in that Viva app only for the selected users/groups.
    7. Add the users or groups.
    8. Select Save.
    • Changes can take up to 24 hours to take effect.
    • To modify or remove a policy, use Edit or Delete from the same Copilot settings page.
    1. Turn Copilot off in desktop apps (per device/app) Even when licensed, users (or admins via configuration/communication) can turn Copilot off in specific apps without removing licenses:

    On Windows (Word, PowerPoint, Excel):

    1. In the app, go to File > Options > Copilot.
    2. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
    3. Select OK, then restart the app.
    • Re‑enable by checking Enable Copilot again.

    On Mac (Word, PowerPoint, Excel):

    1. In the app, select the app menu (for example, Word) > Preferences.
    2. Go to Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot.
    3. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
    4. Close and restart the app.
    • Re‑enable by checking Enable Copilot again.
    1. Ensure Copilot appears and works for enabled users If Copilot is licensed and should be enabled but is missing or not working:
    2. Confirm the user is signed in with the correct account that has a Copilot license (for business: Microsoft 365 Business Basic/Standard/Premium, E3, E5, F1, or F3 plus Microsoft 365 Copilot; for home: Microsoft 365 Personal/Family or Copilot Pro).
    3. Refresh the license in desktop apps:
      • Windows: File > Account > Update License, then restart all Microsoft 365 apps.
      • Mac: app menu (for example, Word) > About <app> > More Info… > Refresh License, then restart apps.
    4. For Mac, ensure privacy settings allow Copilot:
      • In Word: Word > Preferences > Privacy.
      • Turn on Experiences that analyze your content and All connected experiences.
    5. For web apps, refresh the browser page and ensure third‑party cookies are allowed if there are license validation issues.
    6. Using personal Microsoft 365 Premium/Family/Personal at work
    • Users with Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Premium can use Copilot at work with their work files while file access remains tied to the work account.
    • Organization policy controls still apply; admins can disable Copilot usage via cloud policy for work content even when users sign in with a personal subscription.
    • Multiple account access is supported in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; users can add a personal account via the profile menu and still remain under enterprise identity, permissions, and compliance policies.

    To summarize admin control:

    • License level: assign/remove Copilot licenses and supported M365 plans.
    • Tenant/app level: use Copilot settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center (including Viva custom policies) and the CopilotForM365AdminExclude group for admin centers.
    • Client level: instruct or configure users to toggle Enable Copilot in app options if they want it off locally.

    References:

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