How to disable Windows 10 Copilot from Taskbar

Yes, Windows 10 gets Copilot, but you can disable it, if you don't want it, and here are a few ways.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
Pureinfotech Logo
Windows 10 with Copilot disabled
Windows 10 with Copilot disabled
  • To disable the Windows 10 Copilot, right-click the Taskbar and clear the “Show Copilot (preview) button” option.
  • To remove Copilot completely, open Group Policy User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot, and choose the “Enabled” option in the “Turn off Windows Copilot” policy to disable the feature.
  • To disable the Microsoft Copilot from the Registry on Windows 10, open “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot,” and set the “TurnOffWindowsCopilot” DWORD to “1.”

UPDATED 3/17/2024: On Windows 10, you have three methods to disable Copilot system-wide or remove the button from the Taskbar, and in this guide, I’ll outline the steps I used to complete this configuration. Similar to the experience on Windows 11, the older version of the operating system now also includes Copilot, the chatbot AI designed to assist you with any question and other tasks, such as rewrites, summarization, generating new content, and more. 

Although Microsoft doesn’t want you to get rid of the feature, if the feature isn’t for you, there are multiple ways to disable the Windows 10 Copilot through the Taskbar context menu, Group Policy, and Registry.

On Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education computers, you can use the Local Group Policy Editor to disable the chatbot. If your device uses Windows 10 Home, you must use the Registry. However, you can use the Registry method for any edition of the operating system. Also, during the initial rollout of the chatbot, Microsoft won’t enable Copilot on managed devices running the Pro edition, Enterprise edition, or Education editions.

In this guide, I’ll teach you the different ways to get rid of Copilot on Windows 10.

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.

Disable Copilot from Taskbar menu on Windows 10

To remove the Copilot button from the Taskbar’s System Tray, use these steps:

  1. Right-click the Taskbar.

  2. Click the “Show Copilot (preview) button” option to clear the setting and disable the feature.

    Show Copilot button on Windows 10

Once you complete the steps, the Copilot button will be removed from the Taskbar, but you can still use the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut to open and close the experience.

Disable Copilot from Group Policy on Windows 10

To disable Windows 10 Copilot from Group Policy, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  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.

    Windows Copilot policy

  5. Select the Enabled option to disable Copilot on Windows 11.

    Windows 10 Copilot disabled via Group Policy

  6. Click the Apply button.

  7. Click the OK button.

  8. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, Copilot will be disabled from the operating system, and you won’t even be able to open the interface with the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut. This action will remove the “Show Copilot (preview) button” option from the Taskbar context menu.

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 10

To remove Windows 10 Copilot 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

  4. Right-click the Windows key, select New, and choose the Key option.

    WindowsCopilot Registry key

  5. Name the WindowsCopilot and press Enter.

  6. Right-click the “WindowsCopilot” key, select New, and choose the “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.

  7. Double-click the TurnOffWindowsCopilot DWORD and change its value from 0 to 1 to disable Copilot through the Registry.

    Windows 10 Registry disable Copilot

  8. Click the OK button.

  9. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the chatbot AI will be disabled completely on Windows 11, similar to using the Group Policy Editor method mentioned above.

It’s possible to revert the settings using the same steps, but in step 3, set the “TurnOffWindowsCopilot” value to “0” (zero).

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].