How to Turn Off Copilot in Word on Windows and Mac

To turn off Copilot in Word on Windows, open File > Options > Copilot, clear the Enable Copilot checkbox, select OK, and restart the application. In the guides we publish here at Ban the Bots, we give the exact menu path Microsoft documents rather than the setting's nickname, because the artificial intelligence (AI) switch sits in a different place in every app. On a Mac computer, open the Word menu, go to Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot, clear the Enable Copilot checkbox, and restart the program. This setting applies only to the individual application on that specific computer. If you also run Excel, PowerPoint, or OneNote, you must repeat the same steps inside each program. Microsoft documentation on turning off Copilot confirms that web and mobile versions provide no individual in-app toggle.

Short Answer: How to Turn Off Copilot in Word

Disabling Copilot in Microsoft Word requires unchecking the feature toggle inside the application options menu on your desktop computer. The preference takes effect only after you completely shut down and restart the software. The change remains local to that machine, meaning a second laptop or desktop will continue showing Copilot until you change the setting there as well.

The desktop toggle disables the Copilot icon on the ribbon, and no Copilot capability works in that app until you turn it back on. If you access Word through a web browser or on a phone, no per-app checkbox exists in those interfaces.

Version Requirements and What the Setting Disables

The per-app toggle to disable Copilot requires a specific minimum build of Microsoft 365 on Windows and macOS. Microsoft said on January 16, 2025 that it was adding settings in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to disable or enable Copilot. If your installation runs an older release channel, the Copilot entry will not appear in your options menu.

The table below lists the minimum application versions required to access the standalone checkbox as documented by Microsoft:

When you clear the checkbox, the Copilot icon on the ribbon is disabled and you will not be able to use any Copilot capabilities in that app. The setting is strictly per app and per device. You cannot turn off Copilot in the iOS, Android, or web versions of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint using this setting.

Disabling Copilot Across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote

Disabling Copilot across the core Microsoft Office suite requires updating each application separately because the desktop software lacks a universal kill switch. Completing the setup in Word leaves Excel and PowerPoint unaffected.

Disabling Copilot in Microsoft Word

To turn off Copilot in Microsoft Word on Windows:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your desktop.
2. Select File, then Options.
3. Select Copilot in the options dialog window.
4. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
5. Select OK to save your changes.
6. Close and restart Microsoft Word.

To turn off Copilot in Microsoft Word on macOS:

1. Open Microsoft Word on your Mac.
2. Open the Word app menu.
3. Select Preferences, then click Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot.
4. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
5. Restart Microsoft Word.

Disabling Copilot in Microsoft Excel

To turn off Copilot in Microsoft Excel on Windows:

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Click File > Options.
3. Select Copilot.
4. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
5. Select OK, then exit and reopen Excel.

On macOS, open Excel, click Excel in the top menu bar, navigate to Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot, uncheck Enable Copilot, and restart the program.

Disabling Copilot in Microsoft PowerPoint

To turn off Copilot in Microsoft PowerPoint on Windows:

1. Open Microsoft PowerPoint.
2. Select File > Options > Copilot.
3. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
4. Click OK, then close and relaunch PowerPoint.

On macOS, click PowerPoint in the menu bar, open Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot, clear the Enable Copilot checkbox, and restart PowerPoint.

Disabling Copilot in Microsoft OneNote

To turn off Copilot in Microsoft OneNote on Windows:

1. Open OneNote.
2. Select File > Options.
3. Select Copilot.
4. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
5. Select OK and restart OneNote.

OneNote on Windows requires Version 2502 or newer. Microsoft's documentation does not list a corresponding per-app checkbox for OneNote on macOS.

Turning Off Copilot in Outlook

Outlook handles Copilot settings differently than document editors because its preference synchronizes automatically across every connected device using that account. You do not need to repeat the process on your phone or secondary computer.

To disable Copilot in the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web:

1. Open Outlook or log in through your web browser.
2. Open Settings > Copilot.
3. Turn Copilot off.

On Outlook for Android, iOS, and macOS, open Quick Settings and select Copilot to change the setting. Once saved, your selection synchronizes across all devices signed in with the same account. Microsoft documentation provides no availability date for this toggle in the classic Outlook for Windows client. If you want a communication setup completely free of machine learning features, read our guide to email without AI.

The Privacy Fallback and Features It Disables

If your installed software lacks the individual Copilot checkbox, turning off connected experiences that analyze content stops Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Microsoft's documentation gives no equivalent for Word on the web.

To turn off experiences that analyze content on Windows:

1. Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
2. Click File > Account.
3. Under Account Privacy, select Manage Settings.
4. Clear the checkbox labeled Turn on experiences that analyze your content.
5. Select OK.

On macOS, open the application menu, select Preferences > Personal Settings > Privacy, open Manage Connected Experiences, and clear the toggle for experiences that analyze content.

This privacy route stops Copilot everywhere, but it causes collateral disruption to standard features. Microsoft notes that clearing this checkbox also disables suggested replies in Outlook, text predictions in Word, PowerPoint Designer, and automatic alt text generation for images. If you rely on basic predictive typing or presentation layout assistance, the dedicated per-app checkbox is the better path.

For home subscribers concerned about data handling, Microsoft's consumer privacy documentation states that prompts, responses, and file contents processed by Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps are not used to train foundation models.

Group Policy and Registry Controls for Work Accounts

Users signed in with work or school accounts cannot override administrative privacy controls locally. If your employer or university manages your Microsoft 365 license, the policy your administrator sets wins over anything you change in the app.

Information technology (IT) administrators manage these features across Windows devices using Group Policy or Cloud Policy. Microsoft Learn documentation on privacy controls lists the policies under User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Microsoft Office 2016\Privacy\Trust Center:

• Allow the use of connected experiences in Office that analyze content
• Allow the use of connected experiences in Office

Disabling Allow the use of connected experiences in Office ensures that Microsoft Copilot features will not be available to users in certain apps. Microsoft Copilot privacy documentation confirms that disabling experiences that analyze content blocks Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

Administrators can also configure registry values directly under the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\privacy. The documentation lists four values:

• UserContentDisabled (experiences that analyze content)
• DownloadContentDisabled
• ControllerConnectedServicesEnabled
• DisconnectedState

Microsoft Learn documents the state values as 1=Enabled and 2=Disabled. If your workplace needs formal guidelines for restricting automated assistants, use our no-AI policy template to request changes from your IT department.

Subscription Costs and Classic Plans

Microsoft bundled Copilot directly into consumer plans on January 16, 2025, while raising the base subscription price. In a public announcement, Microsoft confirmed that United States (US) prices for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family increased by $3 United States Dollars (USD) per month, marking the first broad price increase since the service launched.

Subscribers on standard consumer plans receive a monthly allotment of AI credits. According to Microsoft's support page for AI credits, credits deduct automatically whenever you use Copilot across Microsoft 365 and Windows applications, including Designer, Create, Photos, Paint, Notepad, Word, and Excel. These AI benefits belong exclusively to the subscription owner and cannot be shared with other family members on a Family plan. Microsoft's AI credits support page does not state the monthly credit amount.

To accommodate existing subscribers who do not want these tools or the price increase, Microsoft created Personal Classic and Family Classic plans for a limited time. These Classic plans exclude Copilot and AI credits; Microsoft's announcement does not state the Classic price.

Disabling the Windows Copilot App and Hardware Key

The standalone Windows Copilot desktop application and the physical keyboard key operate independently from Microsoft Office features. Turning off Copilot in Word does not remove the Copilot app from Windows or change what the Copilot key does.

Microsoft Learn management documentation notes that enterprise users can uninstall the standalone Copilot app by going to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. IT administrators can block the package MICROSOFT.COPILOT using AppLocker. Microsoft documentation notes that the legacy TurnOffWindowsCopilot policy is subject to near-term deprecation. For full operating system removal steps, consult our guide on how to turn off Copilot in Windows.

Microsoft introduced the dedicated Copilot keyboard key on January 4, 2024, designing it to invoke the assistant interface on Windows hardware. Users without the physical key can trigger the interface using the Win+C shortcut.

You can change the behavior of the physical key through Windows settings:

1. Open Settings > Personalization > Text input.
2. Select Customize Copilot key on keyboard.
3. Choose Search, Custom, or select an installed application to open instead.

Administrators manage this behavior using the Configuration Service Provider (CSP) policy named SetCopilotHardwareKey. Microsoft's keyboard accessibility documentation also confirms that users can remap the key to act as a Context menu key or Right Ctrl key under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Keyboard.

Troubleshooting Missing or Reappearing Copilot Buttons

If the Copilot button reappears after an update or goes missing unexpectedly, four primary configuration factors control its visibility. Microsoft's troubleshooting documentation for the missing Copilot button explains that the interface element normally rests in the lower-right corner of documents, workbooks, and presentations, and can be moved next to the ribbon.

Microsoft outlines four distinct reasons why the Copilot button fails to show up:

• Your account lacks an active Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
• Connected experiences are turned off, specifically Experiences that analyze your content or All connected experiences.
• The installation runs on the Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel.
• The local software runs an outdated application build.

The same four conditions are the levers when Copilot comes back. If an update restores the ribbon icon in Word, return to File > Options > Copilot, confirm that Enable Copilot is unchecked, select OK, and restart the program. On a work or school account, a setting that keeps reverting is being set by your administrator's Group Policy or Cloud Policy, and Microsoft says you cannot override it locally.

Comparison of Copilot Removal Methods

The per-app checkbox keeps the most features, the privacy setting reaches the most devices, and Group Policy is the only route on a managed account.

Choose the per-app checkbox if you want to eliminate the assistant sidebar in Word while preserving text predictions and PowerPoint Designer. Choose the connected experiences privacy toggle if you work primarily on iOS or Android, where no individual checkbox exists.

Who This Recommendation Is Not For

Turning off Copilot in Microsoft Word does not suit people who rely on automated drafting assistance or collaborate exclusively in browser-based editors. If you actively use AI to generate text outlines, summarize lengthy reports, or format spreadsheets, disabling the feature removes those tools from your ribbon entirely.

This approach also provides limited benefit if your daily work happens inside Word for the web or on mobile apps, because Microsoft does not provide a per-app switch for those interfaces. On iOS and Android, your only option is disabling connected experiences, which breaks unrelated editing helpers like automated image alt text. For Word on the web, Microsoft documents no switch at all. If you want a distraction-free writing environment without any assistant menus, consider migrating to writing software without AI.

What Would Change Our Verdict

Our guidance would change if Microsoft introduces an account-level kill switch for web applications or removes local desktop toggles. If Microsoft adds an account preference that disables Copilot across Word on the web and mobile devices without disabling text predictions, that setting would become our primary recommendation.

Conversely, if future Microsoft 365 updates remove the Enable Copilot checkbox from desktop versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, desktop users would be forced to rely on the connected experiences privacy switch or move to third-party office suites.

Next Steps for an AI-Free Workspace

To keep your writing workspace quiet, apply these settings to your most frequently used Office applications today. Disabling Copilot in Word is one checkbox and a restart.

If you use other tools across your computer, review our guides to turn off AI in Gmail and turn off Apple Intelligence. If you want a completely independent toolset, check our catalog of AI-free apps.

FAQ

How do I turn off Copilot in Word?

To turn off Copilot in Word on Windows, go to File > Options > Copilot, clear the Enable Copilot checkbox, select OK, and restart Word. On macOS, select Word > Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot, clear Enable Copilot, and restart the application.

Can I turn off Copilot in Word on the web?

Microsoft does not provide a per-app switch for Word on the web, iOS, or Android. On iOS and Android, turning off connected experiences that analyze content stops Copilot, at the cost of features like text predictions. For Word on the web, Microsoft documents no way to turn it off.

Does turning off Copilot in Word also turn it off in Excel?

No, the Enable Copilot setting is strictly per app and per device. You must open Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote individually and uncheck the setting within each application's options menu.

How do I remove Copilot from Outlook?

In the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web, navigate to Settings > Copilot and turn off the toggle. On Mac, iOS, and Android, access the switch through Quick Settings > Copilot. The Outlook preference synchronizes across all devices signed in with that account.

Can I get Microsoft 365 without Copilot?

For a limited time following the January 16, 2025 pricing change, existing subscribers can switch to Microsoft 365 Personal Classic or Family Classic plans. These plans exclude Copilot and AI credits.

Sources

• Microsoft Support: Turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps
• Microsoft Support: How to find and enable missing Copilot button in Microsoft 365 apps
• Microsoft Support: AI credits and limits for Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Premium
• Microsoft Support: Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps for home: your data and privacy
• Microsoft Support: Understand updates to the Copilot key on Windows devices
• Microsoft Learn: Manage privacy controls for Microsoft 365 Apps
• Microsoft Learn: Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Microsoft Learn: Manage Copilot in Windows
• Windows Experience Blog: Introducing a new Copilot key to kick off the year of AI-powered Windows PCs
• Microsoft Copilot Blog: Copilot is now included in Microsoft 365 Personal and Family