Windows Copilot is an AI assistant powered by Bing Chat and third-party plugins. It can perform tasks like summarizing web pages, generating content, and customizing settings. However, if you don't find these features useful or want to conserve system resources, you can disable it.

Removing Copilot by Modifying Registry Value

This method uses a single command in the Windows Terminal to modify the registry and disable Copilot:

  1. Right-click on the Start button and select 'Terminal (admin)' (or "Windows PowerShell" if Terminal isn't available).
  2. Copy and paste the following command into the Terminal window:
    reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /v TurnOffWindowsCopilot /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
  3. Press 'Enter' to run the command.
  4. If successful, you'll see a message confirming that the operation completed successfully.
  5. Sign out of your Windows account and then sign back in for the change to take effect.

After following these steps, Windows Copilot will be disabled on your system.

Re-enabling Windows Copilot

If you decide you want to use Copilot again in the future, you can re-enable it with another simple command:

  1. Open Terminal as described above.
  2. Copy and paste this command:
    reg delete HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /f
  3. Press 'Enter' to run the command.
  4. Sign out and sign back in to apply the change.

Removing Copilot using Group Policy Editor

If your computer has Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions, you can permanently disable Copilot from the Local Group Policy Editor.

  1. Open Local Group Policy Editor from the Windows search or type gpedit.msc in the Run command and hit Enter.
  1. Navigate to the following folder in the Group Policy Editor window using the left panel:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot
  1. On the right-side pane, double-click the 'Turn off Windows Copilot' policy.
  1. Select 'Enabled' and click 'Apply' and then 'OK'.
  1. Restart your computer OR do a sign-out/ sign-in cycle. Copilot will disappear from your PC.

To re-enable Windows Copilot, follow the same steps and select 'Not configured' or 'Disabled'. Then, click 'Apply' and 'OK'.

Hiding Windows Copilot from the Taskbar

If you simply wish to hide or disable the Copilot from the Taskbar, just follow these quick steps:

  1. Right-click on the Taskbar and select 'Taskbar settings'.
  1. Then, switch the 'Copilot' toggle to the off position under Taskbar items.

This will hide the Copilot button from the taskbar, but it will not disable or remove Copilot from your computer. Copilot will still be running in the background, and you can bring it up anytime by pressing the Windows+C shortcut keys.