Microsoft Lets Office Users Disable Floating Copilot Button

Microsoft is rolling out Office app updates next week that allow users to disable a floating Copilot button. The button appeared in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in recent weeks and floats above the bottom right-hand section of spreadsheets or documents.

It has angered many Excel users in particular because it obstructs cells and you can't fully disable it. Microsoft already has a dock option for the floating Copilot button to make it slightly smaller and less annoying.

“While we are seeing increased engagement with Copilot in Office apps with this update, we are also hearing the need for more control over how Copilot appears,” admits Katie Kivett, partner group product manager at Microsoft. “While one of our goals is to evolve Copilot to be more adaptive and flexible over time, we are making some adjustments in the short term.”

The update adds an option to move the button to the ribbon so it will no longer float on top of documents. This new option will appear next week when users right-click the “Dynamic Action Button.” The floating Copilot button in Office apps will be able to move back to the ribbon.

This change to Office apps comes just a month after Microsoft also started removing “unnecessary” Copilot buttons from various Windows 11 apps. After years of shoving Copilot buttons everywhere, it seems like Microsoft is finally waking up to the fact that these additions can be more annoying than useful.

Expert Take: Enterprise M365 admins should welcome the added user-level controls as a way to cut down on interface complaints and support requests from power users who rely on unobstructed Excel sheets.