I want to disable Copilot in Word on MacBook Air

I also didn't find it, using the path above. However, I was able to find it under Word >> Preferences >> Copilot >> Enable Copilot (this last, I unchecked). Maybe that will work for you?

Hi Jack,

You were fast! I did that and it disappeared then I reopened Word and it was back, so I came back to delete my comment...I couldn't but I updated it and didn't realise you'd responded to the first one until today.

Updates installed on my laptop overnight and now the option to turn off CoPilot is there in Preference > CoPilot. Talk about fixing what wasn't broken! I don't know who at Microsoft thought that was a good idea. Anyway, hope you got the update and can now do this as well!

Ivy

I unfortunately updated Excel, and was immediately infected by Copilot. So I had to repeat the steps I described in a previous post - now deleting Excel. Version 16.88 (August 13) seems to be the last Copilot-free version - 16.89 (September 10) is infected.

Please report to this forum whenever (if ever) there is a new version of Office where you explicitly can turn off Copilot. Until then: Disable auto-update (settings / general / login items & extensions)

I had the same problem, same frustrations. I restarted the program, and Copilot suddenly appeared in my Word-->Preferences-->Authoring and Proofreading Tools. I disabled it from there, and also unchecked all the privacy options. I can only hope that will fix it.

Ugh. I want AI to clean my house, not write my stuff.

We can disable it, they just seem to be doing what they can to prevent us from disabling it (what a surprise). As per wfd11777, you need to go into Word and select Preferences > Privacy. Then go into Manage Connected Experiences and uncheck Turn On All Connected Experiences. Once you've done this, you'll be asked to restart Word. Restart Word and the Co-Pilot will reappear in the new blank document (urgh). Select Preferences AGAIN and you should now see the Co-Pilot icon displayed. Click on Co-Pilot and uncheck Enable. Fingers crossed.

For whatever it's worth:

Microsoft – Copilot – How to turn off Copilot in Microsoft 365 Family and Personal subscriptions

There's a note at the top saying "he info in this article applies only to when you're signed in to your Microsoft 365 apps with a Microsoft account. For example, a personal outlook.com email address."

• First, make sure both your MacBook and Microsoft 365 have the latest software updates.
• Second, quit the Microsoft 365 App and restart your computer. When Microsoft introduced Copilot to Word the option to "enable"/un-enable it did not appear until I quit the app and restarted my computer. Unfortunately, trying the same thing when copilot was added to Excel as of 2/9/25 had no effect, so the option to un-enable does not seem to be automatically included in the update that added Copilot.
• Third, per the images below, go to the app menu at the top and select Preferences. The Copilot icon should appear. Click on it and de-select Enable Copilot.

• Fourth, I would also recommend disconnecting the app from its cloud backup service "optional connected experience". Merely disconnecting this may be enough to turn off copilot if the "enable" option does not appear. In Preferences, select Privacy, then deselect "Turn on optional connected experiences"

Hello I have a Macbook and have figured out how to disable copilot. In the top left of your screen while having Microsoft Word opened, click "Word", then proceed to "Preferences" in the drop down menu, a chart will appear and under the "Authoring and Proofing Tools" section select the "Copilot" symbol by double clicking, an option will appear that says "Enable Copilot" and you must uncheck that box before exiting the menu screen. After this copilot will be removed.

I did the advice to go to Preferences and Privacy, then Connected Experiences. I disconnected all three, and it got rid of CoPilot, but that also disconnected my OneDrive, which was a dealbreaker. So I only disabled the third feature of the Connected Experiences. This got rid of the annoying chatty paperclip on my document, but CoPilot is still on the dashboard. I'll keep trying.

QuillaTheCat wrote:

I did the advice to go to Preferences and Privacy, then Connected Experiences. I disconnected all three, and it got rid of CoPilot, but that also disconnected my OneDrive, which was a dealbreaker. So I only disabled the third feature of the Connected Experiences. This got rid of the annoying chatty paperclip on my document, but CoPilot is still on the dashboard. I'll keep trying.

Seems a simpler solution would be to stop using Word.

Hey Steve,

Same laptop, same version, same with auto-update, same with greyed-out Copilot icon. Do you have half a gold medallion give to you as a baby? LOL

Seems updates installed overnight, now, like you, I have the option to turn it off in Preferences > Copilot.

Microsoft seems to have gotten the push back this crap deserved and sorted it out, thankfully!

Thanks for sharing!

Ivy

It appears we have at last communmicated with Microsoft. "It" has put an icon in Preferences as one of us explained - I went to it and it's a toggle, resting state off, if you click it, Co-Pilot is on! HOORAY! I THINK, I HOPE!! Look in the second row in Preferences. The Co-Pilot icon is the first one. Please let the rest of us know if it's working (Or not).

Jack (the guy who started this thread).

Wow! I opened up MS word today and found copilot. I have a master's degree and I can do a much better job of editing! How annoying can it get? Why do programs have to add annoying features like this, is it to keep the programmers busy?

I found the following solution which is working so far, for my MacBook Air:

1. Open Word
2. Click on "Word" on upper left of screen.
3. Click on preferences
4. Click on that ******* Copilot icon
5. Click on "disable".

Copilot disappeared on my document immediately!

Hope this helps!

I'm a novelist and CoPilot was driving me crazy. This actually works!

1. In your app (for example, Word), select the app menu, and then go to Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools > Copilot.
2. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.

SSlaunwhite wrote:

It works for some but not all users. Many (like me) have the most updated version of WORD on a Mac and still there is no way to turn off copilot. There is no "Enable Copilot" checkbox anywhere. There is no "Options" button under File. I'm glad you were able to fix the problem, Carol. But most of us are out of luck. In the meantime, I'm using Pages to write drafts and then edit them in Word. That's the only way to avoid the Copilot icon from following me.

I recent installed 365 and the path is Word menu > Preferences > Copilot: