How to adjust settings Windows 11 2026 to turn off Pilot and all AI features

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How to adjust settings Windows 11 2026 to turn off Pilot and all AI features

JMG 0

I would like to know if there is a Win 11 2026 setting (high level dialog or registry edit) to turn off, disallow or disable all AI features now set as defaults? The AI aspects of Windows 11 including CoPilot are becoming more intrusive, and needn't be. Offering a single control to disable AI (yes, I know its deeply baked into the OS kernel now) and not making the AI features as defaults will win Microsoft a lot of good will and new loyalty. Thank you.

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Answer 1

In Windows 11 (including the 2026 builds such as 25H2/26H2), Microsoft does not provide a single master switch to turn off all AI features at once. Because AI is split between standalone apps, system-level privacy settings, and built-in app features, you will need to disable or uninstall them across a few specific areas.

1. Uninstall the Copilot App

In 2026 Windows 11 builds, Copilot is packaged as a standard app rather than being permanently locked into the OS.

1.**Open Installed Apps:**1 min.

Press Win + I to open Settings, then navigate to Apps > Installed apps in the left sidebar.

2.**Locate and Uninstall Copilot:**1 min.

Type Copilot in the search bar. Click the three dots (...) next to Copilot (and Microsoft 365 Copilot, if listed) and select Uninstall.

Verification: Copilot disappears from your installed apps list, Start menu, and taskbar.

3.**Unmap the Copilot Key (If Applicable):**Optional.

If your keyboard has a dedicated Copilot key, go to Settings > Personalization > Text input > Customize Copilot key on keyboard and change it to open Search or a custom app instead.

2. Disable System-Level AI, Recall & On-Device Generation

Depending on whether you have a standard PC or a Copilot+ PC, turn off the remaining system-level AI controls:

Windows Recall (Copilot+ PCs): Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Recall & snapshots and toggle Save snapshots to Off. Click Delete snapshots to clear existing data.

Click to Do (Copilot+ PCs): Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Click to Do and toggle it Off.

On-Device Text & Image Generation: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Text and image generation and toggle off permissions for apps allowed to use local AI models.

File Explorer & Context Menu AI Actions: Go to Settings > Apps > Actions and toggle off suggested AI actions (such as Bing visual search or background removal in right-click menus).

Voice & Typing Learning: Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Speech and turn off Online speech recognition. Then go to Privacy & security > Inking & typing personalization and turn it Off.

3. Turn Off AI Inside Built-In Apps

Uninstalling the main Copilot app does not automatically disable cloud-based AI features inside Microsoft's built-in apps:

Microsoft Edge: Open Edge, go to Settings (Alt + F > Settings) > Appearance > Copilot and sidebar > Copilot, and turn off Show Copilot button on the toolbar.

Notepad: Open Notepad, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner, and toggle Copilot to Off.

Paint: Open Paint, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top-right corner, and turn off Cocreator / AI image generation features.

Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint): Open any app, go to File > Options > Copilot, uncheck Enable Copilot, and restart the app.

4. Block Copilot via Group Policy or Registry (Pro / Enterprise)

Note that Microsoft has deprecated the older TurnOffWindowsCopilot policy in 2026 builds in favor of blocking the app package directly. If you run Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise and want to ensure Windows Update doesn't reinstall it:

Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.

Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot.

Double-click Turn off Windows Copilot (or Remove Microsoft Copilot App if available on your build), set it to Enabled, and click OK.

(This answer is AI generated)