How to disable Copilot on Windows 11

Yes, it's possible to completely disable the Copilot AI chatbot on Windows 11, and in this guide, your will learn three ways to complete this task.

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@pureinfotech
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Windows 11 disable Copilot
  • To disable Copilot on Windows 11, open the “Windows Copilot” settings in Group Policy, set the “Turn off Windows Copilot” to “Enabled,” and restart the computer.
  • You can also open the “WindowsCopilot” path in the Registry and set the “TurnOffWindowsCopilot” DWORD to “1.”
  • If you simply want to remove the Copilot icon from the Taskbar, turn off the “Copilot” toggle switch from the Taskbar settings.

UPDATED 9/27/2023: On Windows 11, you can disable the “Windows Copilot” completely, and in this guide, you will learn how on the September 2023 update, version 23H2, and higher releases.

“Copilot” (formerly known as “Windows Copilot”) is the new chatbot AI for Windows 11 that can help with complex questions, and you can ask for rewrites, summarizations, and explain content without opening the browser. Furthermore, the AI can assist users in taking actions, customizing settings, and seamlessly connecting across their favorite apps.

Although it’s a convenient feature, it’s not for everyone. If you’re among those people who don’t need it, on Windows 11 23H2 or version 22H2, there are multiple ways to disable Copilot completely through the Group Policy Editor and Registry. If you don’t want to turn off the feature, you can remove the Copilot button from the Taskbar instead.

This guide will teach you the different ways to disable the Windows Copilot on Windows 11 23H2.

Disable Copilot from Group Policy on Windows 11

If the device uses Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to disable the Copilot feature on version 23H2. If the computer uses Windows 11 Home, you will have to use the Registry.

To disable the Copilot completely through Group Policy on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  2. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor.

  3. Open the following path:

    User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot

  4. Double-click the “Turn off Windows Copilot” policy.

    Turn off Windows Copilot policy

  5. Select the Enabled option.

    Group Policy disable Copilot

  6. Click the Apply button.

  7. Click the OK button.

  8. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the Copilot button will no longer appear in the Taskbar, and users won’t even be able to open the chatbot with the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut. This action will also remove the “Copilot” setting from the Taskbar settings page.

If you want to re-enable the feature, use the same instructions, but in step 4, choose the “Not Configured” option.

Disable Copilot from Registry on Windows 11

Windows 11 Home doesn’t include the Local Group Policy Editor, but it is still possible to disable the feature by modifying the Registry. This method also works for Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education.

Warning: Modifying the Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It is assumed you know what you are doing and have created a system backup before proceeding.

To disable Copilot from Windows 11 completely from the Registry, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

  3. Open the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot

  4. Double-click the TurnOffWindowsCopilot DWORD and change its value from 0 to 1.

    Registry disable Copilot

  5. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the Copilot will be disabled completely on Windows 11. This action will also remove the “Copilot” setting from the Taskbar settings page.

If you change your mind, you can always revert the settings using the same steps, but in step 3, set the “TurnOffWindowsCopilot” value to “0” (zero).

Disable Copilot from Taskbar on Windows 11

If you don’t want to completely disable the feature, you can remove, hide, or disable Copilot from the Taskbar settings page.

To remove the Copilot button from the Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click on Personalization.

  3. Click the Taskbar tab.

  4. Under the “Taskbar items” section, turn off the Copilot toggle switch.

    Taskbar remove Copilot button

Once you complete the steps, the Copilot button will no longer appear in the Taskbar, but the chatbot will continue to be available using the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut.