In case you missed it, an update launched in January (for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535) to Microsoft's Dev and Beta Channels, allowing admins to uninstall the Copilot app on managed Windows 11 devices (recently resurfaced by PCMag via an earlier article from our friends at Tom's Hardware, but not particularly breaking news).
Microsoft has undoubtedly faced harsh criticism and backlash for forcing Copilot integrations across Windows 11. While it has been possible to remove the Copilot chatbot app from individual consumer Windows 11 PCs for some time, some admins still weren't able to mass-uninstall the tool across a fleet of devices. Well, at least until recently.
Then again, it's no easy feat. Admins will need to enable a new "RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp" policy to uninstall the Copilot app. It's worth noting that this is limited to Enterprise, Pro, and EDU SKUs, and users can also install the Copilot app in Windows 11 again if they really want to.
Admins also need to ensure each of their respective devices meets certain thresholds:
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are both installed
- The Microsoft Copilot app was not installed by the user
- The Microsoft Copilot app was not launched in the last 28 days
Microsoft is relaxing its Copilot integrations
At the start of the year, Microsoft announced its commitment to improving overall user sentiment toward Windows 11 in 2026. The company has already highlighted some of its plans, including the return of a movable and resizable Taskbar, reducing where Copilot and AI experiences appear, allowing users to postpone updates indefinitely, and even dropping the forced Microsoft Account requirement during setup.
PC enthusiasts can even look forward to a more consistent dark mode in Windows 11, though no timeline has been set for its rollout to legacy apps across the OS.
Microsoft even earned itself a new (unwanted) nickname — microslop. It came after CEO Satya Nadella pleaded with users to stop calling artificial intelligence "slop" in 2026: "We have moved past the initial phase of discovery and are entering a phase of widespread diffusion," Nadella added. "We are beginning to distinguish between “spectacle” and “substance.”
The executive's plea seemingly had the opposite effect, sparking outrage, mockery, and backlash from users across social media. Some even developed a Chrome extension that turns every mention of Microsoft into microslop across the internet.
Nadella admitted that AI needs to prove its worth sooner rather than later, or big tech could lose public support "to actually take something like energy, which is a scarce resource, and use it to generate these tokens."
While the ability to completely uninstall Copilot in all its forms across Windows 11 seems somewhat limited right now, I hope Microsoft gives users more control over the option, potentially making it easier to uninstall (or install) the integrations with a single click.
Personally, I'd argue that Microsoft is flying a sinking ship with too many "Copilots" for its AI strategy in Windows to even make sense. As Microsoft ramps up its efforts to improve Windows 11, it will be paramount for the company to make it easier for users to uninstall all instances of Copilot and disable its integrations across the operating system if we choose to.
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