How to diactivate Copilot on my PC

Question

Hi.

I tried many time to diactivate Copilot in Windows 365, especially in Word, but to no avail. Microsoft tells me to go to Options and unclick Copilot but since the Copilot option does not even appear in the list I can't unclick it. What shall I do. I have already wasted hours on this.

[Removed PII]

[Removed PII]

Answer 1

To deactivate Copilot in Word and other Microsoft 365 apps on Windows when the Copilot option is missing, use the supported methods below.

1. Verify app version and look for the "Enable Copilot" checkbox

• The Enable Copilot checkbox is only available starting with these versions:
  • Windows:
    • Word: Version 2412
    • Excel: Version 2501
    • PowerPoint: Version 2501
    • OneNote: Version 2502
• If the checkbox is not visible:
  • Check the app version using the steps in [about-office-what-version-of-office-am-i-using-932788b8-a3ce-44bf-bb09-e334518b8b19].
  • If needed, update Office using the steps in [how-to-update-microsoft-365-or-office-for-windows-2ab296f3-7f03-43a2-8e50-46de917611c5].
• Once on a supported version, in each app (for example, Word):
  1. Go to File > Options > Copilot.
  2. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
  3. Select OK, then close and restart the app.

2. If the Copilot checkbox still does not appear, turn off Copilot via privacy settings If the app version does not yet expose the Copilot option, Copilot can be disabled by turning off content-analyzing connected experiences:

On Windows (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.):

1. Open one Office app (for example, PowerPoint or 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 the app.
5. This change applies to the other Office apps the next time they are opened.
6. Optional: remove the Copilot icon from the ribbon (does not fully disable Copilot) If only the icon is distracting but Copilot may be needed later, the Copilot button can be removed from the ribbon without disabling the feature by customizing the ribbon, as described in Customize the ribbon in Office. This only hides the icon; Copilot remains available via other entry points.

Note: These instructions apply when signed in with a personal Microsoft account (for example, an outlook.com address). For each device and each app, Copilot must be disabled separately using the Enable Copilot checkbox once it is available.

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References:

• Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps