By Achilles Hill | Last Updated
Windows 11, the latest operating system from Microsoft, brings many new experiences and features to users, one of which has received a lot of attention is Copilot.
Copilot is a smart assistive feature designed to help users accomplish various tasks efficiently. However, different users may have different needs and preferences in the process of using it. Therefore, this article will discuss how to enable or disable Copilot on Windows 11.
Microsoft Copilot is a chatbot based on OpenAI's GPT-4 model that utilizes Bing Chat technology. It has the capabilities of an intelligent assistant that understands the user's behavioral patterns and preferences and provides personalized advice and support accordingly. In Windows 11, you can talk to Copilot , get information, perform tasks, and even create content.
By default, Copilot is pre-installed and ready to go in Windows 11, so enabling it is very simple. You need to make sure that your computer has the latest version 23H2 of Windows 11 installed, which is Insider Preview Build 23493 or later. Here are the detailed steps to display Copilot in the taskbar.
Step 1: Open the "Settings" app. Then click "Personalization" on the left side.
Step 2: Click on "Taskbar" option in the right menu bar.
Step 3: Under "Taskbar Items", turn on the "Copilot (preview)" switch, then it's icon will show on taskbar menu.
Tip: Copilot is a brand-new AI component on Windows 11 that may not be available to all users as it is still in early preview.
While Copilot can offer many conveniences, not all users are happy with or need this feature. Below you will find three ways to disable Copilot. It is important to emphasize that this action is reversible, and you can always re-enable Copilot afterward.
After updating to Windows 11 version 23H2, a Copilot icon will be added to your computer's taskbar. If your taskbar is already crowded or you just want a cleaner interface, you can choose to remove the Copilot icon instead of disabling it completely.
Step 1: Open "Settings" and click "Personalize" > "Taskbar".
Step 2: Find the "Copilot (preview)" option and turn it off, then the Smart Assistant icon will be removed from the taskbar.
Just because you can easily hide the Copilot icon in the taskbar doesn't mean that the smart assistant has been removed from Windows 11, it can still be invoked by holding down "Win+ C".
For systems that support Group Policy such as Windows 11 Professional and Enterprise, Copilot can be disabled using the following Group Policy options to turn it off completely.
Step 1: Open the Run dialog box, type "gpedit.msc" and press "Enter" to launch Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: Navigate to the following level.
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot
Step 3: Double-click the "Turn Off Windows Copilot" option, then select "Enabled", click "Ok" and close the policy editor.
Step 4: Restart your computer to apply the changes.
For Windows 11 Home devices that do not support Group Policy, you can turn off Copilot by editing the registry to turn Copilot off completely.
Step 1: Press "Windows + R" at the same time to quickly bring up the "Run" dialog box, and execute regedit to open the registry editor.
Step 2: Go to the following registry path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
Step 3: Create a new "Key" named WindowsCopilot in the Windows directory.
Then create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named "TurnOffWindowsCopilot" under "WindowsCopilot" and set its hexadecimal value to 1. Finally, click "OK" to save the changes. After that, Copilot on Windows 11 will be turned off immediately.
Microsoft's addition of Copilot to Windows 11 is a powerful feature. This article described the detailed process of how to enable or disable Copilot on Windows 11. Whether you intend to utilize the intelligent assistant to enhance your work efficiency or wish to disable the feature to keep your system simple, you can choose the appropriate method of operation according to your needs.
