How to uninstall Copilot on Windows 11 and disable its features
You can uninstall the current Microsoft Copilot app from Windows 11 through Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Older articles describing Copilot only as an inseparable Windows sidebar no longer describe the current app accurately. First identify the Copilot app or feature you want to manage: removing the desktop app does not automatically remove separately delivered Copilot experiences in other products.
Can I completely uninstall Copilot from Windows 11?
Yes. Microsoft’s current instructions provide a normal uninstall route for the Microsoft Copilot app. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Copilot, select its three-dot menu, and choose Uninstall. Older Copilot in Windows sidebar controls are a different implementation and should not be used as a universal guide for today’s app.
How do I check if Copilot is active on my PC?
Search Installed apps for Copilot to check whether the app is installed. A pinned taskbar icon shows a shortcut, not proof that the app is currently running. To investigate resource use, open Task Manager and examine the app’s actual processes and CPU or memory usage. There is no universal Windows 11 Privacy & security > Windows Permissions > Copilot on/off page of the kind described in older versions of this guide.
What are the steps to disable or uninstall Copilot?
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Find the Microsoft Copilot app you intend to remove, open its More options menu, select Uninstall, and confirm. If you have similarly named Microsoft apps, read the exact name before removing anything. On a work or school PC, organization policy may affect which apps are installed and who can remove them.
PowerShell is not required for a normal app uninstall. Microsoft also documents targeted package removal for IT administrators, but commands must identify the correct installed package and user scope. Avoid broad wildcard removal scripts that might affect other apps or components. Use Settings first and keep any error message if it fails.
What should I do if I can’t uninstall Copilot normally?
If Uninstall is unavailable or fails, close the app, restart Windows, and retry its normal uninstall entry. Check your organization’s rules on a managed PC and contact IT when needed. Do not assume an old registry tweak applies to the current app: Microsoft marks TurnOffWindowsCopilot as a deprecated legacy policy and states that it is not for the new experience. Administrators should follow current Microsoft management documentation for the exact app and deployment rather than copying a generic registry recipe.
Are there ways to keep Copilot but reduce its impact?
If you want to keep the app, right-click its pinned taskbar icon and choose Unpin from taskbar to remove that shortcut. This does not uninstall the app or prove its processes have stopped. If Copilot appears in Settings > Apps > Startup or Task Manager > Startup apps, disable that startup entry to prevent its registered sign-in launch. You can also review Settings > System > Notifications for an applicable app entry. Availability depends on how the app is installed. Check actual usage rather than assuming that hiding an icon or changing a permission saves resources.
Conclusion
For the current Copilot app, use Installed apps > Copilot > Uninstall. If you prefer to keep it, manage its shortcut, available startup entry, and notifications separately. For a managed PC or an older Windows implementation, use documentation that matches that configuration rather than treating all Copilot experiences as the same component.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I uninstall Copilot like a regular app on Windows 11?
Yes, the current Microsoft Copilot app has a standard uninstall route in Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Device management can affect what an organization permits.
How do I know if Copilot is running on my PC?
Use Task Manager to inspect actual running processes. Installed apps confirms installation, while a pinned taskbar icon alone does not establish that Copilot is running.
What if disabling Copilot doesn’t stop it from running?
Check which app or product is opening, then use its appropriate uninstall or startup controls. Hiding a shortcut is not the same as stopping a process. Contact IT if organization policy manages the installation.
Will disabling Copilot free up a lot of system resources?
The effect depends on whether the app was running, its workload, and your PC. Measure its CPU and memory use in Task Manager. Removing an idle shortcut alone does not provide a meaningful performance improvement.
Is there a way to re-enable Copilot after disabling it?
If you only disabled a startup entry, turn it on again in Startup settings when available. If you uninstalled the app, reinstall the official Microsoft Copilot app from Microsoft Store, subject to device policy.