Microsoft is slowly adding an option to disable Copilot AI from their Microsoft 365 apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Here’s what you’re supposed to see on your computer, but won’t necessarily.
An option to disable Copilot is being rolled out to Microsoft 365 for Windows and Mac. First in Word 365 for Windows and later for Excel and PowerPoint (hopefully in February 2025).
Here’s what is supposed to appear in recent Word 365 releases at File | Options | Copilot then uncheck the box “Enable Copilot”. Mac: Preferences | Authoring and Proofing Tools | Copilot.
This option only applies to that device. It’s not one of the shared Office settings that’s applied to all apps on that Microsoft account.
When ‘Enable Copilot’ is extended to Excel and PowerPoint you’ll be able to turn Copilot on/off separately in each app. For example, you might choose to have Copilot in Excel but off for Word or PowerPoint.
According to Microsoft, all you need is Microsoft 365 updated after the middle of January 2025. In other words these versions or later.
- version 2412 of Word 365 for Windows
- version 16.93 of Word 365 for Mac
Microsoft says that if the “Enable Copilot” option is not appearing, make sure you update your Office software (Windows: File | Account | Update Options | Update Now. Mac: any Office app | Help | Check for updates ).
Oh how we wish it was that simple. Microsoft’s instructions don’t tell the whole story, whether by choice or mistake we can’t say.
In the real world it’s different
In the real world, beyond Microsoft’s reality bubble, things are very different for people who have the right Office software and version.
- Some people, including us here are Office Watch, are NOT seeing the Copilot part of Options at all, let alone a choice to Enable Copilot.
- Others have an Options | Copilot section but there’s no Enable Copilot option just the ‘Collapse Copilot summary automatically’ choice.
Why isn’t the Enable Copilot option appearing?
The ‘Enable Copilot’ option has been added hastily and reluctantly by Microsoft. So it’s been done without proper consideration or care.
Microsoft isn’t talking, so paying customers are left floundering. We can only offer some educated guesses based on reports we’ve received from many Office Watch readers.
Personal and Family plan owners only
The limited Copilot is only available to Microsoft 365 Personal users and the owner of a Microsoft 365 Family plan.
If you’re sharing a Microsoft 365 Family plan, then there’s no Copilot available so the option doesn’t appear.
Would it be better if the Copilot section appeared for all, with ‘Enable Copilot’ greyed out? Definitely, but ‘if wishes were horses’.
Copilot Pro
Anyone with a paid Copilot Pro add-on to their Personal or Family account doesn’t appear to see the ‘Enable Copilot’ option.
It is possible that Microsoft simply can’t imagine why someone paying for their beloved Copilot would want to disable it in some situations or some apps.
Business or other licenses
All this talk of ‘Enable Copilot’ only applies to Microsoft 365 consumer plans i.e. Personal or Family plan owners.
If you’re using a Business, Enterprise, School, Education, Non-Profit or other Microsoft 365 license then the ‘Enable Copilot’ option won’t appear even if your organization has arranged for the Copilot add-on.
If the Microsoft 365 with Copilot addon is available, then you might see the ‘Collapse Copilot summary automatically’.
What’s still missing?
Aside from the horrible jumble of Copilot options with little proper documentation is the simplistic “On or Off” option that’s reluctantly being added.
There are paying customers who don’t like AI in their software and understandably hate it being forced on them with much higher price.
Microsoft is ignoring the customers who might like a bit of Copilot but some control over when it appears. At the moment Copilot is intruding into the workspaces of documents, sheets and slides. It’s especially annoying in Excel with the Copilot bug appearing next to selected cells.
What Microsoft needs to do is learn from their own past and keep the workspaces as clear as possible. This was one of the guiding points behind the development of the ribbon.
Copilot coverage at Office Watch
Copilot Pro brings AI into Microsoft Office
