How to Turn Off Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook and Windows

The short version

There’s no single off switch: each app has its own. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote have an Enable Copilot checkbox, Outlook has a Turn on Copilot toggle, and on Windows the Copilot app can be uninstalled like any other app.

Step by step

Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote on Windows

1. Open the app and go to File > Options > Copilot.
2. Clear Enable Copilot and select OK.
3. Restart the app.
4. Repeat in each app. The setting applies to one app on one device, and to everyone who uses that device.

Microsoft lists the versions that have this checkbox: Word 2412, Excel 2501, PowerPoint 2501 and OneNote 2502 or later. If you don’t see it, update Office.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint on a Mac

1. Open the app menu > Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot.
2. Clear Enable Copilot and restart the app.

Outlook

Turn off the Turn on Copilot toggle. It applies to every device signed in with the same account.

• New Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web: Settings > Copilot
• Mac, iPhone and Android: Quick Settings > Copilot

Microsoft says there’s currently no estimated date for this toggle in classic Outlook for Windows.

The Copilot app in Windows

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Find Copilot, select the three dots and choose Uninstall.

The Copilot key on your keyboard

Go to Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard and choose Search or Custom to make the key open something else.

Microsoft Edge

In Edge’s More (…) menu, open the Copilot and AI settings and turn off Allow Copilot to read context clues on the web to stop Copilot from using the page you’re on, your tabs and your browsing history.

If your app has no Enable Copilot box

Microsoft offers a fallback: turn off the privacy setting that Copilot depends on. On Windows, go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings and clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content. Microsoft warns this also turns off other features, such as suggested replies in Outlook and text predictions in Word.

Prompts to copy

If you’d rather keep Copilot but limit what it does, ask it:

Answer only from the document I have open. Don't search the web.

Don't make changes to my workbook. Just tell me what you would change.

Mistakes to avoid

• Hiding the ribbon button and stopping there. Copilot still works from other menus.
• Expecting one setting to cover everything. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Edge and Windows are separate.
• Forgetting other devices. The Office checkbox is per device; a laptop and a desktop each need it.
• Changing a work PC yourself. On managed devices, ask IT first.

Good to know

On the web and phone versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint there’s no switch, so the simplest choice is to not open the Copilot pane. For what Copilot keeps when you do use it, see keep your data private in Copilot.

Related: use Copilot in Windows and choose the right Copilot plan.