Permanently removing the Copilot button from Excel is harder than it should be — Microsoft doesn't make it straightforward, and many suggested fixes only hide it temporarily or don't apply to all versions. Here's a clear breakdown of what actually works depending on your setup.
First: what version are you on?
The options available to you depend entirely on whether you're on a personal Microsoft 365 subscription or a work/enterprise account managed by an IT admin. The methods are different and it matters which one applies to you.
Method 1: Move it to the ribbon (personal accounts — rolling out)
Microsoft is rolling out an option to right-click the Copilot icon and choose Move to Ribbon. This moves it from the floating position (where it's easy to accidentally click) into the Home tab ribbon, where it sits alongside other buttons and is far less intrusive. This doesn't remove Copilot but does resolve the accidental-click problem for most people. If you don't see this option yet, it hasn't reached your update channel — check back after the next Office update.
Method 2: Disable via Privacy Settings (personal accounts)
This is the most complete option available to personal Microsoft 365 users:
- Go to File > Options > General
- Click Privacy Settings
- Under Connected Experiences, uncheck Turn on experiences that analyze your content
- Click OK and restart Excel
This disables Copilot features that analyze your spreadsheet content. Note it also disables some other connected features — live data types (Geography and Stocks in cells) are the most commonly used ones affected. If you use those, this method has a real trade-off.
Important: this option may not appear in all versions. If you don't see Privacy Settings under General options, your version doesn't expose this control at the user level — this is common on enterprise/managed devices.
Method 3: Disable Copilot in Excel Options (personal accounts, newer builds)
On Microsoft 365 version 2501 and later with a personal subscription:
- Go to File > Options
- Look for a Copilot section
- Uncheck Enable Copilot
- Restart Excel
If this option isn't visible, your build doesn't have it yet or you're on an enterprise account where this setting is controlled centrally.
Method 4: Uninstall the Copilot app from Windows (Windows Copilot, not Excel-specific)
There are two separate things called "Copilot" in Windows — the Windows Copilot app (the one with the taskbar button) and the Copilot feature built into Excel itself. Uninstalling the Windows Copilot app from Settings > Apps > Installed apps removes the Windows sidebar version but does not remove the Copilot button from inside Excel. These are separate things and people frequently confuse them.
Method 5: IT admin control (enterprise/work accounts)
If you're on a work device with a company Microsoft 365 account, individual users typically can't disable Copilot — the control sits with your IT admin in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. The options available to admins include:
- Disabling Copilot for specific users or groups via the Admin Center
- Using Group Policy or Microsoft Intune to push a setting that disables the Copilot button in Office apps tenant-wide
- Blocking Copilot features entirely via Data Loss Prevention or Connected Experiences policies
If none of the user-level options work for you, raise it with IT — they can disable it centrally if there's a business reason to do so.
What doesn't work (and why)
- Right-click > Dock: only hides it for the current session. It comes back when you open a new workbook or restart Excel.
- Uninstalling the Copilot Windows app: doesn't affect the Copilot button inside Excel — different product.
- Customizing the ribbon: you can remove the Copilot button from the ribbon, but the floating icon that appears on the sheet itself is separate from the ribbon button and remains.
- Third-party debloat tools: may work but aren't supported and can cause other issues with Office — not recommended for a work device.
The bottom line
For personal accounts: the Privacy Settings method works most reliably, with the trade-off of losing live data types. The Move to Ribbon option (rolling out) is the least disruptive if all you want is to stop accidentally clicking it. For work accounts: this is an IT admin setting and individual users have limited options beyond asking IT to disable it centrally.