Microsoft has pushed Copilot into Outlook across the new Outlook for Windows, Outlook on the web, Mac, and mobile, and not everyone wants it in their email client. The good news is that Outlook has a dedicated Turn on Copilot toggle under Settings > Copilot that you can switch off yourself - no admin ticket required. Because the setting roams with your account, turning it off on one client turns it off in Outlook everywhere you sign in with that same account. This guide covers turning Copilot off (and back on) in the new Outlook for Windows and on the web, the correct privacy fallback for accounts that don't have the toggle yet, and the tenant-wide option for admins. One caveat worth setting up front: the toggle only hides Copilot's entry points; it does not uninstall anything, and classic Outlook for Windows still has no equivalent toggle.
Before you start
What you will learn
- How to turn Copilot on or off in the new Outlook for Windows and in Outlook on the web using the per-account Copilot toggle, and what to do when that toggle isn't there yet.
- The Copilot toggle only hides Copilot entry points like Summarize and Draft - it is a per-account preference, so knowing exactly where it lives saves you from breaking spell check with the heavier privacy fallback.
Requirements
- You need to be signed in to Outlook with the account you want to change. The toggle only appears for accounts where Copilot is already available in Outlook.
- New Outlook for Windows, or Outlook on the web at outlook.com. The privacy fallback in Step 5 is done from a desktop Office app such as Word or PowerPoint.
Good to know
- About 3 minutes for the in-app toggle.
- Steps reflect Microsoft's documented behavior as of July 2026; the exact menu labels can shift as the portal evolves.
Quick answer
In the new Outlook for Windows or Outlook on the web, open Settings (gear icon), select Copilot, pick the account if you have more than one, then switch the Turn on Copilot toggle off and click Save. The change applies to Outlook on every device signed in with that account.
Outlook > Settings (gear) > Copilot > Turn on Copilot (toggle) > SaveStep-by-step tutorial
6 stepsOpen Copilot settings and pick the right account
Reach the Copilot settings pane and make sure you are changing the correct mailbox.
Outlook > Settings (gear) > CopilotOpen the new Outlook for Windows app (or go to outlook.com in a browser). Click the Settings gear icon on the toolbar. In the settings window, select Copilot in the left pane. If you have more than one email account added, use the These settings are applied at the account level drop-down to choose the account you want to change - the toggle is per account, so each mailbox is controlled separately.
If there is no Copilot entry in Settings, the toggle has not reached your account yet - skip to Step 5 for the privacy fallback.
Turn Copilot off in the new Outlook for Windows
Hide Copilot entry points for the selected account in the Windows app.
Outlook > Settings (gear) > Copilot > Turn on Copilot > SaveOn the Copilot settings page, switch Turn on Copilot to the off position, then click Save to apply. Close the settings window. Because the preference roams with your account, this same choice takes effect in Outlook on the web and on your other devices signed in with the same account.
You do not need to reinstall or restart for the toggle itself, but reopening Outlook helps confirm the button is gone.
Turn Copilot off in Outlook on the web
Confirm or apply the same setting in the browser version.
outlook.com > Settings (gear) > Copilot > Turn on Copilot > SaveGo to outlook.com and sign in. Click the Settings gear icon, select Copilot, choose the account if prompted, switch Turn on Copilot to off, and click Save. No app update is needed for the web. If you already disabled Copilot on the Windows app for this account, the web toggle will usually already show as off because the setting roams.
If the web still shows Copilot after you turned it off, open Outlook in a private/incognito window to rule out a cached browser session.
Turn Copilot back on (reverse the change)
Re-enable Copilot for an account whenever you want the AI features back.
Outlook > Settings (gear) > Copilot > Turn on Copilot > SaveTo enable Copilot again, return to Settings > Copilot, select the account, switch Turn on Copilot to on, and click Save. This is the same page in both the Windows app and on the web. Copilot entry points reappear for that account, and the choice again applies across your signed-in devices.
Enabling here does not add a license - it only un-hides features your account already has access to.
Use the privacy fallback when the Copilot toggle is missing
Turn Copilot off for accounts that don't yet show the in-app toggle, and understand the trade-off.
Word/PowerPoint > File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings > Connected experiencesIf Settings > Copilot has no toggle yet, you can disable Copilot through account privacy settings from a desktop Office app (for example Word or PowerPoint): go to File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings, then under Connected experiences clear Turn on experiences that analyze your content. Click OK, then close and restart the app. This applies to all Microsoft 365 apps for that account, including Outlook.
Classic Outlook for Windows still has no dedicated Copilot toggle, and Microsoft has given no date for one - this connected-experiences path is the current fallback there too. Weigh it carefully, because it also disables useful proofing and prediction features.
Optional: disable Copilot for everyone as an admin
Remove the Copilot button for an entire organization from the admin side.
Microsoft 365 admin center > Users > Active users > Licenses and appsIn a work or school tenant, a Microsoft 365 administrator can control Copilot availability centrally from the Microsoft 365 admin center by adjusting the assigned Copilot licenses and apps under Users > Active users > (select user) > Licenses and apps, or by restricting the Copilot experience at the organization level. Because Copilot is a distributed service across identity, provisioning, and client rollout, allow time for the change to propagate to clients.
UI remnants can linger briefly after a tenant change while the rollout completes; the feature itself stops working first.
How to Confirm Copilot Is On or Off in Outlook
To confirm the setting applied, compose a new email and look for Copilot cues. When Copilot is off, the Copilot button is absent from the ribbon and you no longer see prompts like Summarize this email at the top of a thread or Draft with Copilot in the compose window. When Copilot is on, those entry points are present. Because the preference roams per account, check one other client (for example the web) to confirm the change followed the account. If you changed the setting on one device but another device still shows the old state, give it a short while to sync and reopen Outlook.
- Copilot entry points consistently reflect your toggle choice across the new Outlook for Windows and Outlook on the web for that account.
- The toggle refuses to stick, or Copilot cues reappear after a short time - treat this as the known 'toggle re-enables' behavior and see the troubleshooting section.
- Expected state after switching Turn on Copilot off and saving.
- Expected state after switching Turn on Copilot on and saving.
Troubleshooting
Copilot turns itself back on after you disable it
Cause: Some users report the Turn on Copilot toggle reverting after a while; this is a client behavior, not a step you missed.
Re-open Settings > Copilot, confirm the toggle is off for the correct account, and click Save again. If it keeps reverting, sign out and back in, update the app, and - if you need a hard guarantee - use the connected-experiences fallback in Step 5, accepting that it also disables suggested replies and predictions.
There is no Copilot entry in Settings
Cause: The toggle has not rolled out to your account yet, or Copilot is not available on your license.
Use the privacy fallback in Step 5 from a desktop Office app. If you are on a work or school account, ask your administrator whether Copilot is assigned and whether the toggle is being rolled out.
The Copilot options are greyed out or missing on a work account
Cause: Your organization controls Copilot centrally, so individual users cannot change it.
Contact your IT administrator. They can adjust Copilot availability from the Microsoft 365 admin center under Users > Active users > Licenses and apps or through organization-level Copilot controls.
You still see a Copilot button in classic Outlook for Windows
Cause: Classic Outlook has no dedicated Copilot toggle, and Microsoft has not committed to adding one.
Switch to the new Outlook for Windows to use the toggle, or use the connected-experiences privacy fallback for that account. Do not edit the registry or use third-party removers, which can break Outlook.
Frequently asked questions
Does turning off Copilot in Outlook affect Word, Excel, and PowerPoint?
No. The Outlook toggle only controls Copilot in Outlook for that account. In Word, Excel, and PowerPoint you turn Copilot off separately by clearing the Enable Copilot checkbox in each app.
If I turn Copilot off on Windows, is it off on the web too?
Yes. The Copilot preference roams with your account, so disabling it in the new Outlook for Windows also turns it off in Outlook on the web and on other devices signed in with the same account.
Can I disable Copilot for one email account but keep it for another?
Yes. The toggle is set per account. Use the account selector on the Copilot settings page to choose which mailbox you are changing before saving.
Why doesn't classic Outlook for Windows have a Copilot toggle?
Microsoft has not added a dedicated Copilot on/off control to classic Outlook and has given no date for one. There, the connected-experiences privacy setting is the available fallback.
Does the Copilot toggle actually remove Copilot?
No. It hides Copilot entry points such as Summarize and Draft with Copilot; it does not uninstall Copilot or change your license. It is a reversible display preference.
