How to enable new Copilot AI on Windows 11

• To enable Copilot on Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turn on the “Copilot” toggle switch.
• If the option is still unavailable, you can try turning on Copilot from the Registry Editor or using the Group Policy Editor.
• Also, in regions like Europe, you must use a workaround to access Copilot on Windows 11.

11/10/2023: Windows 11 comes with the new Copilot, but if it’s unavailable on your installation, use these instructions to enable the chatbot on your computer. Microsoft is working on “Copilot,” a new chatbot AI integration for Windows 11, which integrates the Bing Chat AI and first and third-party plugins into the operating system that allows users to interact with the chatbot.

The Copilot is a flyout interface that slights in from the right side when clicking the “Copilot” button in the Taskbar. Like the Bing Chat AI on the web and mobile and the AI experience on Microsoft Edge, the chatbot for Windows 11 can help you with complex questions, and you can ask for rewrites and 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.

Starting on October 31, 2023, the Copilot AI feature is available for everyone with the update KB5031455 for version 22H2 and version 23H2. However, you have to consider that initially, the feature will be available in North America and parts of Asia and South America, expanding to other regions over time. Furthermore, the update KB5031455 has a bug that causes Copilot to mess up the icons on the desktop on multi-monitor setups. Until a permanent fix is released, Microsoft will keep the AI chatbot disabled on affected devices.

If you can’t find Copilot after installing the update, you may still enable the feature in the Settings app, through the Registry, or using a third-party tool called “ViveTool,” available on GitHub.

In this guide, I will teach you the steps to turn on this new feature on Windows 11.

• Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (official)
• Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (Europe)
• Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (preview)

Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (official)

On Windows 11, you can enable Copilot through the Settings app or the Registry after installing the update KB5031455 and KB5027397 on your computer. If you can’t turn on the chatbot, even after the feature update is officially available, you can use the above instructions to turn on the feature.

Method 1: Turn on from Taskbar settings

To enable Copilot on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click the Taskbar tab.

4. Turn on the Copilot toggle switch.

   

Once you complete the steps, the Copilot button should appear in the Taskbar for the new version of Windows 11.

Method 2: Turn on from Registry Editor

To enable Copilot through the Registry, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

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

3. Navigate to the following path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. Double-click the ShowCopilotButton DWORD and set its value to 1 to enable the feature.

   

5. Click the OK button.

6. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the Copilot button should appear in the Windows 11 23H2 Taskbar.

Although you can’t remove the feature, it’s possible to completely disable Copilot on the Windows 11 2023 Update through Group Policy and Registry.

Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (policy)

It could also be the case that Copilot has been disabled through the Group Policy settings, and resetting the policy can re-enable the AI chatbot on your installation. The Group Policy Editor is only available for Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. If the computer uses Windows 11 Home, you must use the Registry.

Method 1: Turn on from Group Policy Editor

To enable the Copilot through Group Policy on Windows 11, 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.

   

5. Select the Not Configured (or Disabled) option.

   

6. Click the Apply button.

7. Click the OK button.

8. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the Copilot button should appear in the Taskbar.

Method 2: Turn on from Registry Editor

The Registry method to re-enable Copilot should work on Windows 11 Home, Pro, Enterprise, and Education.

To enable Copilot from Windows 11 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 (if it exists) and change its value from 1 to 0.

   

5. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, Copilot will be enabled on Windows 11, and this action will add the “Copilot” toggle switch in the Taskbar settings page.

Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (Europe)

Although Microsoft made Copilot available on Windows 11, it only introduced the feature in a select number of markets, including in North America and parts of Asia and South America, but not in countries of the European Union (EU) because the feature is still not compliant with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Microsoft is currently working to implement changes to comply with the DMA and bring the chatbot to more regions. In the meantime, a workaround exists to enable Copilot in European countries.

To enable Windows 11 Copilot in countries from the European Union, use these steps:

1. Right-click on the desktop, select New and choose the Shortcut option. (In File Explorer, click New and select the Shortcut option.)

   

2. Copy and paste the following command:

   microsoft-edge://?ux=copilot&tcp=1&source=taskbar

3. Click the Next button.

   

4. Confirm a name for the shortcut.

5. Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, you won’t see the button in the Taskbar, but you can double-click the shortcut to access Copilot in the EU.

It’s also possible to copy and paste the microsoft-edge://?ux=copilot&tcp=1&source=taskbar command in the “Run” (“Windows key + R” keyboard shortcut) and click the OK button to access the feature.

Enable Copilot on Windows 11 (preview)

If a device is enrolled in the Windows Insider Program, you can use the ViveTool command-line tool to enable the chatbot. Otherwise, use the Settings app, Registry, or Group Policy instructions.

To enable Windows Copilot (preview) on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open GitHub website.

2. Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to enable the Windows Copilot.

3. Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

4. Click the Extract all button.

   

5. Click the Extract button.

6. Copy the path to the folder.

7. Open Start.

8. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

9. Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

   cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x

   In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.

10. Type the following command to enable the Windows Copilot in the Taskbar and press Enter:

    vivetool /enable /id:44774629,44776738,44850061,42105254,41655236

11. Restart the computer.

12. Open Settings.

13. Click on Personalization.

14. Click the Taskbar tab.

15. Turn on the Copilot toggle switch to enable the feature (if applicable).

    

    Quick note: If the icon doesn’t appear in the Taskbar, turn the option on and off a few times to make it work.

Once you complete the steps, you can start with the chatbot by clicking the new “Copilot” button in the Taskbar or using the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut. The experience uses the same Microsoft account (MSA) or Azure Active Directory (AAD) account to sign in to your account.

In this early preview, you can ask the Windows Copilot a few things. For example, “Change to dark mode,” “Turn on do not disturb,” “Take a screenshot,” “Summarize this website” (Active tab in Microsoft Edge), “Write a story about a dog who lives on the moon,” and “Make me a picture of a serene koi fishpond with lily pads.”

It’s worth noting that the feature is still not in its complete form. The Copilot for Windows 11 won’t run through Microsoft Edge. Instead, it’ll be a separate integration. Also, at the time of this writing, you can ask complex questions but can’t ask the chatbot to change settings or take actions on Windows 11.

If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions, but on step 10, make sure to use the  vivetool /disable /id:44774629,44776738,44850061,42105254,41655236 command and then restart the computer.

Update July 18, 2023: The Copilot should now be available for everyone to try on build 23493 or higher releases. If you can’t find the option in the Taskbar, you can open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turn on the “Copilot” toggle switch or use the “Windows key + C” keyboard shortcut.

Update August 3, 2023: I have tested these instructions repeatedly, and they work as expected (at least until the previews that became available on August 2, 2023). However, I have received a few comments noting that the steps weren’t working. Sometimes, it can be a mistake following the instructions, or a compatibility issue with the system configuration, or in the past, Microsoft has limited certain features to specific regions. As a result, these instructions may or may not work for everyone.

Update September 23, 2023: Copilot is now available automatically as part of the latest preview of Windows 11 23H2 in the Release Preview Channel. However, the company notes that it’s only available in select regions. 

Update September 27, 2023: This guide has been updated to include the steps to enable the chatbot if it has been previously disabled through a policy. Also, Microsoft has released the September 2023 update for version 22H2 that includes the Copilot enabled by default and many other features, the new Windows Backup app, AI updates for Paint, Photos, Snipping Tool, and Clipchamp, a redesigned version of File Explorer, and more. Also, initially, Copilot will be available in North America and parts of Asia and South America, expanding to other regions over time.

Update September 28, 2023: This guide has been updated to include the workaround to allow users in the European Union to enable and access the Copilot until Microsoft offers a fully compliant solution for that region.

Update October 6, 2023: Added new video instructions to enable the feature in different ways.

Updated October 18, 2023: This guide has been revised to clarify that you need the October 10 update or version 23H2 to enable the feature.

Updated November 10, 2023: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy, reflect the required packages to enable the feature, and provide information about a bug that prevents some hardware configurations from enabling the feature.