How to Hide or Unhide Copilot Button on Windows 11

Why hide or show the Copilot button?

You may want to hide or show the Copilot button for different reasons. Hiding it can create a cleaner taskbar if you do not use AI features. You might want to show the Copilot button again if you accidentally removed it, regaining quick access to the AI tool.

What happens when done?

Once these steps are complete, the Copilot icon will either appear on your taskbar or disappear from it immediately, depending on the method you chose.

Method 1Using ⚙️ Windows Settings

You can easily show or hide the Copilot button on your Windows 11 taskbar using the built-in ⚙️ Settings app. Open Settings, navigate to Personalization, then Taskbar, and locate the Copilot option to toggle it on or off.

1. Open the ⚙️ Windows Settings app. Click the ⊞ Start menu and select Settings, or press the Windows key + I.
2. Click on Personalization in the left menu.

3. Click on the Taskbar tile on the right side.

4. Look for Copilot (preview). Toggle the switch to On to show the button or Off to hide it.

Method 2Using Local Group Policy Editor

To hide the Copilot button on Windows 11 for everyone using the computer, you can utilize the Local Group Policy Editor. This tool allows management of settings for all user accounts simultaneously, controlling the Copilot icon’s visibility for everyone.

You can control the button through the Local Group Policy Editor. Search for “Edit group policy” in your ⊞ Start menu and open the Local Group Policy Editor. This tool lets you change advanced settings on your computer.

1. On the left side, go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > ⊞ Start Menu and Taskbar.
2. Find Hide the Copilot button in the right pane and double-click it.

3. Choose Enabled to hide the button, or Disabled to show it.
4. Click OK and close the editor.

Method 3Using the Registry Editor

You can hide the Copilot button on Windows 11 by using the Registry Editor. This method directly modifies system settings, so proceed with caution when changing registry entries to prevent issues.

The Windows Registry editor allows you to change settings for your computer. Open the Windows Registry editor by searching for "regedit" in the ⊞ Start menu. Navigate to the 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Copilot path to access Copilot settings.copy

To hide the Copilot button, you first create the Explorer folder if it is missing. Right-click the Windows folder, select New, then Key, and name this new folder Explorer. This step ensures the necessary location exists for further customization.

1. Right-click in the empty space on the right side and select New > String Value.
2. Name the new item HideCopilotButton.
3. Double-click HideCopilotButton and set the “Value data” to 1 to hide the button.
4. To show the button again, simply delete the HideCopilotButton item.

🔄 Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Understanding the Physical Copilot Keyboard Key

Summary

Several methods exist for managing the Copilot button on your Windows 11 taskbar, including ⚙️ the Settings app, the more advanced Group Policy Editor, or the Registry Editor for fine-tuning. Each method lets you hide or show the icon depending on your needs.