To turn off Copilot in Windows 10, uninstall the Copilot app. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features, select Copilot, and select Uninstall. If you’d rather keep it but hide it, right-click the Copilot icon on the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar.
Applies to: Windows 10. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.
In late 2024, Microsoft replaced the old Copilot sidebar in Windows 10 with the Microsoft Copilot app. That’s why the old “Show Copilot button” taskbar option is gone on up-to-date PCs, and why you now remove it like any other app. If you’re on a newer PC, follow turning off Copilot in Windows 11 instead.
Hide Copilot from the taskbar
- Right-click the Copilot icon on the taskbar.
- Select Unpin from taskbar.
If it opens by itself when you sign in, go to Settings > Apps > Startup and turn off Copilot. Other apps that launch at sign-in are handled the same way, as shown in disabling startup programs in Windows 10.
Uninstall the Copilot app
- Select Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
- Type Copilot in the search box, or scroll to it.
- Select Copilot, then Uninstall, and confirm.
You can also right-click Copilot in the Start menu and select Uninstall. The same method removes other apps too; uninstalling programs on Windows 10 has the details.
Remove it with PowerShell
Run these two PowerShell commands to remove the app:
$packageFullName = Get-AppxPackage -Name "Microsoft.Copilot" | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PackageFullName
Remove-AppxPackage -Package $packageFullName
Hide Copilot in Microsoft Edge
Edge has its own Copilot button. Open Edge, select Settings and more (…) > Settings, and type Copilot in the settings search box. Turn off the option to show the Copilot button on the toolbar. Menu names change between Edge versions, but searching finds the current setting.
Turn off Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint
In Microsoft 365 Personal and Family, open the app and select File > Options > Copilot, then clear Enable Copilot and restart the app. Set it in each app separately. If you don’t see the option, your version may not have it yet.
On a work PC
Your IT team controls Copilot through policies. For managed PCs, Microsoft’s current advice is an AppLocker policy to stop the app from installing or running, instead of the older Turn off Windows Copilot Group Policy setting. Ask your IT team if Copilot keeps coming back.
If Copilot won’t go away
- It’s not in the apps list: look for Microsoft Copilot, or search the list for the word Copilot.
- Uninstall is grayed out: your organization may manage the PC. Ask your IT team.
- A Copilot key on your keyboard still opens something: on newer keyboards, the key may open Windows Search or nothing once the app is gone. That’s expected.
Frequently asked questions
Will Copilot come back after an update?
It can be reinstalled by some updates. If it comes back, uninstall it again. Microsoft’s older assistant can go too, by removing Cortana from Windows 10.
Does this remove Copilot from Edge or Office?
No. Copilot in Microsoft Edge and Microsoft 365 apps is separate and has its own settings.
Can I get it back later?
Yes. Install Microsoft Copilot from the Microsoft Store.
Does uninstalling Copilot affect Windows?
No. Copilot is a separate app, so Windows, Edge and your other apps keep working normally without it.
Is Copilot the same as Cortana?
No. Cortana was Microsoft’s older assistant, and it has been retired. Copilot is a separate AI chat app that took its place on many PCs.
Does Copilot run in the background?
It can start when you sign in. If you keep the app but don’t want that, turn it off in Task Manager > Startup so it only runs when you open it yourself from the Start menu.
Do I need Copilot for Windows updates?
No. Windows Update works the same with or without the Copilot app installed.
Background on the change, including the November 2024 switch in Windows 10, uninstalling the app, and the PowerShell commands, is in Microsoft’s article Updated Windows and Microsoft Copilot Chat experience.
If you’d rather keep Copilot in your documents, read using Copilot in Word.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.