On Windows 11, Copilot is Microsoft's AI-powered assistant that replaces Cortana and introduces a new way to interact with the operating system. Instead of functioning as a traditional assistant, Copilot brings generative AI directly into the desktop experience, focusing on answering questions, assisting with research, and generating content through natural language.
In Copilot, you can ask complex questions and receive detailed responses, summarize website content without manually extracting information, and create images from simple text descriptions. The assistant is designed to reduce context switching by keeping research, explanations, and creative tools accessible directly from the desktop.
These instructions have been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process in the operating system.
How to disable Copilot on Windows 11
To completely disable Copilot, you can uninstall the feature from the Settings app using these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Apps.
- Click the Installed apps page on the right side.
- Open the Copilot's app menu from the right and click the Uninstall button.
- Click the Uninstall button one more time.
- (Optional) Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot's app menu from the right and click the Uninstall button.
- Click the Uninstall button one more time.
Once you complete the steps, the Copilot chatbot will be completely uninstalled from your computer. This action will also remove the Copilot integration in the File Explorer context menu.
In the steps outlined above, you'll also notice that it includes instructions for uninstalling the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. Although this is not the Copilot chatbot app, it can still confuse users because it uses the same icon as the chatbot app.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is the application that replaced the Office app for accessing documents created with Word, Excel, and other applications. However, the company has renamed the tool and added access to the Copilot chatbot.
Microsoft has also integrated Copilot capabilities to different experiences across the operating system, and you can use these instructions to disable Copilot in Notepad, for example.
It's important to clarify that Copilot is only part of the AI integration in the operating system, and you'll find Copilot as a feature built into other experiences. For example, the Paint app uses Copilot to offer features, such as "Image Creator," "Generative erase," and "Remove background."
On the Photos app, you'll also find the "Generative erase" and "Remove background" features, and while they're not under a Copilot menu, they're the same features offered in the Paint app.
Copilot is also available as a feature in the Notepad app to "help" you generate or summarize content.
Microsoft Edge also includes a Copilot chatbot experience, which provides virtually the same capabilities for generating answers and creating images as the standalone Copilot app for Windows 11.
You can always turn off this integration from the Copilot's settings page (edge://settings/appearance/copilotAndSidebar/appSettings) by turning off the "Show Copilot button on the toolbar" toggle switch.
Also, there are other AI features outside the Copilot scope. For example, if you have a Copilot+ PC, you'll have access to Windows Recall, Click to Do, and there's even an AI agent built right into the Settings app.
In addition, on Copilot+ PCs, you'll have to use additional AI features when using the Paint and Photos apps. For instance, in the Paint app, you'll also find "Sticker generator," "Object Select," "Restyle," and "Cocreator." The Photos app also includes "Restyle image," "Super resolution," and "Relight."
The main difference between Copilot and the other AI features is that Windows Recall, Click to Do, and the AI agent in the Settings app use AI language models available locally, and (according to Microsoft), they don't send any information to the company.
On the other hand, the Copilot app for Windows 11 uses the cloud to process AI responses and other actions, such as generating images.
Furthermore, features like "Image Creator," "Generative erase," and "Remove background" also send your data to the cloud for processing.
How to enable Copilot on Windows 11
To reinstate Copilot on Windows 11, you can reinstall the application from the Microsoft Store using these steps:
- Open the Copilot download page.
- Click the "View in Store" button.
- Click the Get button to install the application.
- (Optional) Open the Microsoft 365 Copilot download page.
- Click the "View in Store" button.
- Click the Get button to install the application.
After you complete the steps, the Copilot app and its integration will be restored on your computer.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
- Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
- Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
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