Microsoft 365 Premium

Question

How do I remove co-pilot from showing up in Word? I do not use Word very much, so I do not need this. It just gets in my way.

Answer 1

To stop Copilot from getting in the way in Word, there are two main options, depending on the version and platform.

1. Turn Copilot off in Word (recommended)

If the Enable Copilot checkbox is available in Word, use it to fully turn Copilot off in that app:

On Windows (Word desktop):

1. Open Word.
2. Go to File > Options > Copilot.
3. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
4. Select OK, then close and restart Word.

On Mac (Word desktop):

1. Open Word.
2. Go to Word (menu bar) > Preferences.
3. In Authoring and Proofing Tools, select Copilot.
4. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
5. Close Preferences, then restart Word.

Notes:

• The checkbox is per app and per device. If Word is used on multiple devices, repeat these steps on each device where Copilot should be off.
• Turning Copilot off in Word does not affect Excel, PowerPoint, etc.; those apps must be configured separately if needed.

If the Enable Copilot checkbox is not visible, make sure Word is updated to a version that supports it. As of March 13, 2025, the checkbox is available starting with:

• Windows: Word Version 2412 or later
• Mac: Word Version 16.93 or later

If the checkbox still does not appear after updating, use privacy settings instead (next section).

2. Turn off Copilot via privacy settings (when the checkbox is not available)

This disables Copilot and other cloud features that analyze content.

On Windows:

1. Open Word.
2. Go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings.
3. Under Connected experiences, clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content.
4. Select OK, then close and restart Word.

On Mac:

1. Open Word.
2. Go to Word > Preferences > Personal Settings > Privacy.
3. In Connected Experiences, select Manage Connected Experiences.
4. Clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content.
5. Select OK, then close and restart Word.

This change only needs to be made in one Office app on the device; it will apply to the others the next time they are opened.

3. If an in-document Copilot icon still appears

If Copilot is disabled but an in-document Copilot logo or popup still appears in Word, install the latest Word update. An update (e.g., 16.103.1 on Mac Current Channel (Preview)) has removed the intrusive Copilot logo from the document window for affected users. Once the update is installed, restart Word and confirm the icon is gone.

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References:

• Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps
• How to disable co-pilot on Mac - Microsoft Q&A
• How do I get rid of the Copilot icon on Docs as I'm working on them? - Microsoft Q&A
• How to remove new Copilot in-document icon in Microsoft Word? - Microsoft Q&A
• Message in Word File/Options dialog box "Server drafts location...is not valid" - Microsoft Q&A