How to Enable or Disable Preload Pages for Faster Browsing and Searching in Copilot on Windows 11
Copilot’s in-app web browsing can preload pages you might visit next, using cookies (small files a website saves on your device) to remember your preferences. Preloading loads pages ahead of time, so they open faster when you click them. This also applies to pages you never end up opening. This setting controls whether that happens. It is off by default.
To turn Preload pages on or off in Copilot, open the Copilot app, go to Copilot Chat settings, select Web browsing, then System and performance, then Performance. Under General settings, switch “Preload pages for faster browsing and searching for what you want” on or off. It is off by default, and no administrator rights are needed.
About web browsing in the Copilot app
The Microsoft Copilot app is Microsoft’s AI app for work. It connects to the Microsoft 365 apps and content you use every day. It creates documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. It also lets you choose which AI model to use. It also uses Work IQ [Verification Required: add a plain-English description of what Work IQ does] to understand your job and company, and it keeps your data protected.
Your experience depends on the account you sign in with. A work or school account gets a licensed version of Copilot with enterprise data protection, which is extra security set up by an organisation for its own data. A personal account gets an experience for individuals, with or without a Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, or Premium subscription.
The Copilot app on Windows 11 supports in-app browsing. Websites that Copilot shares in chat open inside the app, side by side with the conversation. You can manage tabs, switch to full screen, or open links in an external browser. The app stores browsing data locally, the same way Microsoft Edge does. The setting below controls whether pages are preloaded.
Turn Preload pages on or off in Copilot
Find this setting in Copilot Chat settings, under the web browsing performance options. [Verification Required: add numbered steps for opening Copilot Chat settings and reaching the Performance section] No administrator privileges are required.
- Open the Copilot app.
- Open Copilot Chat settings.
- Select Web browsing on the left side, then select System and performance.
- Select Performance.
- Under General settings, turn Preload pages for faster browsing and searching for what you want on or off. The default is off.
What to do next
To undo the change, go back to Performance in the Copilot Chat settings. Switch Preload pages for faster browsing and searching for what you want back to its previous state.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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