How to Turn Off Copilot and Every AI Feature in Windows 11 (2026 Guide)

Windows 11 now ships with more AI than most people asked for. There is the Copilot app, a Copilot key on new keyboards, “Hey Copilot” voice wake-up, Copilot Vision, AI Actions in File Explorer, Click to Do and Recall on Copilot+ PCs, plus AI buttons inside Paint, Notepad, Photos, Outlook and Edge. Some of it is genuinely handy. But if you want a quieter PC, want to save resources, or simply do not want an assistant looking at your screen, you can switch almost all of it off. This guide walks through every AI feature in Windows 11 as of late 2026 and gives the exact Settings, Group Policy and Registry steps to remove or disable each one, on both Windows 11 Home and Pro.

Every AI Feature in Windows 11 (2026)

Microsoft has been adding AI to Windows in waves. In October 2025 it rolled out “Hey Copilot” voice activation, Copilot Vision (Copilot can look at a window or your whole screen and answer questions about it) and early Copilot Actions, which let the assistant carry out tasks on local files. Copilot+ PCs, the laptops with a 40+ TOPS NPU, get extra on-device features such as Recall and Click to Do. Here is what you may find on a typical PC today and where each one lives.

Before You Start: Home vs Pro and Backups

Check your edition first: press Win + R, type winver and press Enter. Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) exists only on Pro, Enterprise and Education. On Home you use the Registry instead. Every Group Policy in this guide simply writes a Registry value, so Home users get the same result with a bit more typing.

Before editing the Registry, create a restore point: search Start for Create a restore point, select your system drive and click Create. If anything goes wrong, you can roll back in a minute. Also note that major feature updates sometimes reinstall Copilot or re-enable toggles, so bookmark this page and recheck after each big update.

1. Uninstall the Copilot App

On current Windows 11 builds, Copilot is a regular app from the Microsoft Store rather than a built-in system component. That makes it easy to remove:

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Search for Copilot.
3. Click the three dots next to Microsoft Copilot and choose Uninstall, then confirm.

If you prefer PowerShell, open Terminal as administrator and run:

Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Copilot* | Remove-AppxPackage

To stop it coming back for new user accounts too, add -AllUsers to both commands in an elevated window. Be aware that the separate Microsoft 365 Copilot app (the old Office hub) is a different package. Remove it the same way if you do not use it.

If you only want the icon gone but the app kept, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and switch off Copilot there (on builds that still show the toggle).

2. Block Copilot With Group Policy or Registry

Uninstalling works, but Windows Update or a Store refresh can reinstall the app. For a firmer block, Pro users can use Group Policy:

1. Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, press Enter.
2. Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot.
3. Open Turn off Windows Copilot, set it to Enabled, click OK and restart.

On Home, the Registry equivalent is:

1. Open regedit and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
2. Create a key named WindowsCopilot.
3. Inside it, create a DWORD (32-bit) value named TurnOffWindowsCopilot and set it to 1.
4. Restart.

Some guides place the same key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows to apply it to every user, which also works. One honest caveat: this policy was designed for the older Copilot sidebar, and Microsoft has said it does not fully control the newer Store app. That is why uninstalling (step 1) plus the policy is the most reliable combination. In early 2026 Microsoft also began testing a dedicated Remove Microsoft Copilot app policy for managed Pro, Enterprise and Education PCs in Windows Insider builds. If you see it under Windows Components > Windows AI or Windows Copilot in your gpedit, enable it.

3. Remap the Copilot Key

Many 2024-2026 laptops have a dedicated Copilot key where the right Ctrl used to be. Windows lets you change what it does: go to Settings > Personalization > Text input and find Customize Copilot key on keyboard. You can point it at Search or at a custom app (only signed MSIX apps are listed). If you would rather have Ctrl back, the free Microsoft PowerToys Keyboard Manager can remap the key (it sends Win+Shift+F23) to Right Ctrl.

4. Turn Off or Remove Recall

Recall only exists on Copilot+ PCs and is opt-in: during setup Windows asks whether to save snapshots. If you said yes and changed your mind, you have two levels:

• Pause or stop snapshots: Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots, turn off Save snapshots and click Delete snapshots.
• Remove the feature completely: Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows features, untick Recall, click OK and restart.

From an elevated PowerShell window you can do the same with:

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Recall"

Or from an elevated Command Prompt:

Dism /online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:"Recall"

Restart afterwards. Pro users can additionally set Turn off saving snapshots for use with Recall to Enabled under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows AI.

5. Disable Click to Do

Click to Do appears when you hold the Windows key and click, or swipe in from the right on touch screens. It reads what is on screen and offers AI actions like summarise, rewrite or search with Bing. To turn it off:

• Settings: open Settings > Privacy & security and look for Click to Do (on some builds it sits under Activity history or Windows permissions). Switch it off.
• Group Policy (Pro): gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows AI, set Click to Do to Disabled, apply and restart.

6. Remove AI Actions in File Explorer

Right-click an image or document and you may see an AI actions submenu (for example Blur background, Erase objects, Summarise or Ask Copilot). To hide them, open Settings > Apps > Actions and switch off every listed action. On some builds the AI actions label stays and simply reads “No actions available”. Microsoft has been testing full removal of the empty entry, so it may disappear in a later update.

7. Remove Copilot and Web Suggestions From Search

The Start menu search box shows a Copilot logo and Bing web suggestions. This Registry value turns those off and keeps search local:

1. Open regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
2. If there is no Explorer key, create it.
3. Inside Explorer, create a DWORD (32-bit) named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions with value 1.
4. Restart the PC.

8. Paint, Notepad, Photos, Outlook and OneDrive

Paint

Paint has Cocreator, Image Creator and Generative Fill. Pro users: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Paint, set Disable Cocreator, Disable generative fill and Disable Image Creator to Enabled. Home users: in regedit go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Paint (create the Paint key if missing) and add DWORDs DisableCocreator, DisableGenerativeFill and DisableImageCreator, each set to 1. Generative erase and Remove background cannot be disabled this way.

Notepad

Open Notepad, click the gear icon, find AI features and switch off Copilot. The Rewrite and Summarise buttons disappear.

Photos

The modern Photos app has no master AI switch. If you want an AI-free viewer, open Photos > Settings and install Photos Legacy, then set it as default under Settings > Apps > Default apps. You can uninstall the modern Photos app if you like.

Outlook and OneDrive

In the new Outlook, go to Settings > General > Privacy and data > Privacy settings and turn off Turn on experiences that analyze your content. Then open the Copilot section in Settings and turn off Turn on Copilot. In OneDrive, open Settings > Photos and turn off Use tags to find and organize photos to stop AI face grouping.

9. Copilot in Microsoft Edge

1. Open Edge Settings (Alt + F, then Settings) > Appearance > Copilot and sidebar. Turn off the sidebar if you never use it.
2. Click Copilot and turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar and the related toggles.
3. Go to Languages and turn off Use Copilot for writing on the web.
4. Under AI innovations, turn off Copilot Mode if it is enabled.

If you switched to Chrome to escape Edge AI, note that Chrome has its own Gemini features. I cover them in my Gemini in Chrome guide.

10. Gaming Copilot and Windows Studio Effects

Gaming Copilot lives in the Xbox Game Bar (Win + G). Open the Gaming Copilot panel, go to Settings > Privacy settings and switch everything off. Then in Game Bar click Settings > More settings > Widgets and untick Gaming Copilot under Show in widget menu.

Windows Studio Effects uses the NPU for background blur, eye contact and auto framing on video calls. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Cameras, choose your camera, click Edit under Advanced camera options and turn off Use Windows Studio Effects.

Which AI Features Are Worth Keeping?

I would not turn everything off blindly. A few features run locally, cost nothing and are genuinely useful:

• Live Captions (Win + Ctrl + L) give real-time subtitles for any audio and work offline.
• Windows Studio Effects background blur saves CPU on calls because it runs on the NPU.
• Copilot Vision is helpful when you are stuck in an unfamiliar app, and it only sees the window you explicitly share.

Recall, on the other hand, is the one I would think hardest about. Even with Microsoft’s encryption and Windows Hello protection, it stores a searchable history of your screen. If you share your PC or handle sensitive client data, remove it.

If you like AI but want it private, a better route is to run models locally. My guides to installing Ollama on Windows and the best Ollama models by VRAM show how to get a ChatGPT-style assistant that never leaves your machine.

Checklist: Confirm Every AI Feature Is Off

After a big Windows update, run through this list. It takes about two minutes and catches the features that most often come back.

How to Turn the Features Back On

Changed your mind, or need Copilot for work? Everything in this guide is reversible:

1. Copilot app: reinstall it from the Microsoft Store.
2. Group Policy: set Turn off Windows Copilot back to Not Configured, or delete the TurnOffWindowsCopilot value in the registry, then restart.
3. Copilot key: set it back to Copilot in the Text input settings.
4. Recall: re-enable it in Windows Features (Turn Windows features on or off), restart, then turn on snapshots.
5. Search and Click to Do: switch the toggles back on in Privacy & security.

Tip: before changing registry keys, create a restore point (search “Create a restore point” in Start) so you can roll back in one step.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I completely uninstall Copilot from Windows 11?

Yes. On current builds Copilot is a Store app you can uninstall from Settings > Apps > Installed apps or with PowerShell. Add the Group Policy or Registry block to reduce the chance of it returning.

Will turning off Copilot break Windows?

No. Windows, Office and Edge all work normally without the Copilot app. You only lose the AI features.

Why did Copilot come back after an update?

Large feature updates can reinstall inbox apps and reset some toggles. Recheck the steps above after each feature update; the policy keys usually survive.

Does Windows 11 Home have Group Policy?

No. Home users should use the Registry values listed in each section, which are exactly what the policies set.

Is Recall on every Windows 11 PC?

No. Recall and Click to Do need a Copilot+ PC with a 40+ TOPS NPU. On other PCs you will not see them.

Can I turn off Copilot in Word and Excel too?

Yes, in each Office app go to File > Options > Copilot and untick Enable Copilot. For what Copilot in Office can do if you decide to keep it, see my Copilot in Word, Excel and PowerPoint guide.

Does turning off AI features make Windows 11 faster?

Slightly, on low-RAM PCs. Removing the Copilot app and turning off Recall snapshots frees background memory and disk space, but do not expect a big speed boost on a modern PC.

Final Thoughts

Windows 11’s AI is no longer one button. It is spread across the taskbar, File Explorer, the camera stack and half a dozen inbox apps. The good news is that every piece can be switched off, and the Copilot app itself can be uninstalled outright. Start with the uninstall and Recall steps, add the policy keys if you are on Pro, and recheck after big updates. Keep what helps you and remove the rest.

Curious how phones handle AI? Read my guides to Galaxy AI on One UI 9 and Apple Intelligence in iOS 27.

Sources

• Windows Latest: How I disabled 13 AI features in Windows 11
• WinCentral: How to disable Copilot in Windows 11 (2026)
• Microsoft Q&A: How do you disable Copilot in Windows 11
• Engadget: Microsoft’s next Windows 11 AI gamble, Hey Copilot
• AlternativeTo: Copilot on Windows gets agents, Vision and voice wake-up