5 Ways to Turn Off and Remove Copilot in Word [Windows & Mac]

Disabling Copilot in Word won't affect other Microsoft 365 apps

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As Microsoft rolled out Copilot in Microsoft Office apps, many started looking for ways to turn off Copilot in Word since it affected their workflow. And the good news is that you can both disable Copilot in Word and remove the Copilot icon from the Home tab!

Remember, simply disabling Copilot in Word won’t affect other Microsoft 365 apps or your subscription. The changes are limited to Word.

How do I turn off Copilot in Microsoft Word?

1. Disable Copilot in Word

  1. Launch Microsoft Word, go to the File tab, and click on Options on the left. If Options is not listed, check under the More section.
  2. In Word Options, go to the Copilot tab, and uncheck the Enable Copilot option.turn off copilot in word on Windows
  3. Click OK to save the changes, and then relaunch Microsoft Word to apply them

When you now open Microsoft Word, Copilot will be disabled, and its entry in the Home tab of the top ribbon will be greyed out. If not, restart the computer and check again!

Remember, this way, you can also turn off Copilot in Word on Mac.

2. Remove Copilot from the Home menu

  1. Open Microsoft Word, right-click on the top ribbon, and select the Customize the Ribbon option.
  2. Select Main Tabs from the Customize the Ribbon dropdown menu on the right. main tabs
  3. Choose the Assistance entry under Home, and click on Remove.turn off copilot in word home tab
  4. Finally, click OK to save the changes, and then relaunch Microsoft Word.

After customizing the top ribbon in Microsoft Word, you won’t find the Copilot entry in the Home tab anymore. Remember, the feature is still present, and you can re-enable it by selecting Copilot from the list on the left and clicking on Add!

3. Work offline in Microsoft Word

Another easy option to disable Copilot in Microsoft Word 365 is to use Offline mode. Copilot requires Internet access to generate suggestions and responses, and for other functions.

So, when you disconnect the PC from the Internet, most of the functions in Copilot will no longer work, providing you with a distraction-free experience!

4. Switch to a plan that doesn’t include Copilot

If you don’t want the Copilot functionality in Microsoft Office, switching to a plan that doesn’t include the feature is the best choice for everyone.

Microsoft has confirmed that subscribing to Microsoft 365 Basic will remove functionalities like Copilot and AI Credits. Besides, switching to limited-period plans like Microsoft 365 Personal Classic or Microsoft 365 Family Classic will turn off Copilot in Word.

You can check the details of all Microsoft 365 plans on the official website.

5. Install an older version of Microsoft Word

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, and locate all Microsoft Office processes.
  2. Individually select each process, and click on End task.terminate processes
  3. Press Windows + S to open Search, type Command Prompt, and click on Run as administrator.
  4. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  5. Paste the following command and hit Enter: cd %programfiles% \Common Files\microsoft shared\ClickToRuncommand
  6. Now, run this command to downgrade to an older Microsoft Office version: Officec2rclient.exe /update user updatetoversion=16.0.17531.20120downgrade to to turn off copilot in word
  7. Wait for Microsoft Office to download the updates.update
  8. Once done, restart the PC, launch Word, and check for improvements.
  9. If Copilot is now disabled, click the File menu, and go to Account from the left.
  10. Finally, click on Update Options, and select Disable Updates to stop Microsoft Office from downloading the latest version that includes Copilot. turn off updates

Another confirmed way to remove Copilot in Word is to downgrade to an older version that doesn’t include the feature. A downside to this method is that it will also remove Copilot from other Microsoft Office apps!

If you are planning to simply turn off Copilot in Word, my recommendation is to disable the feature and remove it from the top ribbon. Methods like downgrading the installed version or switching to another Microsoft 365 plan are for users who would never need to feature!

Before you leave, discover expert tips to make Microsoft Office run faster and enjoy a seamless, error-free experience.

For any queries or to share which method worked best for you, drop a comment below.

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