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How to Turn Off Copilot and Other AI Features in Windows 11

Windows has separate controls for the Copilot app, Recall, Click to Do, Studio Effects, and Microsoft 365 app Copilot. Use the steps for the feature you want to change.
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There is no single Windows switch that turns off every Copilot or AI feature. Choose the control that matches what you want to stop: uninstall the Copilot app, hide its taskbar shortcut, stop Recall from saving snapshots, disable Click to Do or Studio Effects, or turn off Copilot inside Microsoft 365 apps. These controls have different scopes and vary by device, Windows release, and account.

How do I turn off Copilot in Windows 11?

First decide whether you want to remove the Copilot app, hide how you open it, or disable a separate Windows feature. Uninstalling the app is not a master switch for other Microsoft services or AI capabilities built into Windows and apps.

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Uninstall the Copilot app

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
  2. Find Copilot, select More options (…), then choose Uninstall.

This applies to the Microsoft Copilot app. Microsoft documents the removal steps in its Windows 11 app uninstall instructions.

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Change the Copilot keyboard shortcut

Copilot may also open from a Copilot key or Windows+C. To configure shortcut behavior, open the Copilot app and go to Account > Settings > Copilot Keyboard Shortcuts. This changes the shortcut behavior; it is separate from uninstalling the app. See Microsoft’s Copilot in Windows guidance.

How do I remove Copilot from my taskbar?

Right-click the Copilot app icon on the taskbar and select Unpin from taskbar. This removes the pinned shortcut, not the app itself. To remove the app, use the Installed apps steps above. Microsoft’s instructions for pinning and unpinning taskbar apps describe shortcut management separately from app installation.

How do I disable Recall?

Recall is an optional experience for Copilot+ PCs, and saving snapshots is opt-in for each user. You can stop new snapshots without removing the feature, or remove Recall entirely.

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Stop saving snapshots

  1. Open Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots.
  2. Turn Save snapshots off.

You can also pause snapshots temporarily from the Recall icon in the system tray, filter apps and websites, and adjust advanced settings. Microsoft’s Recall and snapshots instructions explain these controls.

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Remove Recall and its saved snapshots

  1. Search Windows for Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Clear the checkbox for Recall.
  3. Restart the PC when prompted.

Microsoft says previously saved snapshots are deleted when Recall is removed. On managed work or school devices, an administrator may control these settings or make some controls unavailable.

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How do I turn off Click to Do?

On a Copilot+ PC, open Settings > Privacy & security > Click to Do and set the feature to Off. Microsoft says Click to Do cannot be removed. Some ways of opening it may still appear, but selecting them can show an error while the feature is disabled. See Microsoft’s Click to Do guidance.

Turning off Click to Do is not equivalent to disabling Copilot or all AI processing. Click to Do can analyze content locally, while some actions send selected content to another service or app.

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How do I turn off Windows Studio Effects?

Use the Studio Effects tile in Quick Settings to enable or disable effects. If you do not see the tile, add it to Quick Settings. You can also open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras and select the front-facing camera to manage available camera effects. The available effects depend on the device; Microsoft identifies Copilot+ PC and NPU requirements. See Windows Studio Effects instructions.

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Can I turn off Copilot in Word and Excel?

Yes, in supported Windows versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, but this is an app-level setting rather than a Windows-wide control. Microsoft’s documented checkbox applies to personal Microsoft account sign-in; the described setting is unavailable for work or school accounts.

  1. In the app, open File > Options > Copilot.
  2. Clear Enable Copilot, select OK, then restart the app.

The checkbox is per app and per device. If it is unavailable, Microsoft documents changing connected-experiences privacy settings instead. That broader setting also disables other features, including suggested replies, text predictions, PowerPoint Designer, and automatic alt text. It is not a narrowly targeted Copilot switch. See Microsoft’s instructions for turning off Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps.

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