How to turn Copilot Cowork on or off in Microsoft Edge on Windows 11

Option 1Control Copilot Cowork in Edge Settings (For Your Account)

Turning Copilot Cowork on or off is done here, and this method only impacts your user account. No special permissions are needed, making it a good fit for most people.

Open Microsoft Edge

Open your Microsoft Edge browser. It's usually found in your Start menu or as an icon pinned to your taskbar.

Access the Settings Menu

With Edge open, look for the three small dots (...) in the top-right corner of the browser window. Click these dots to open a menu, then select "Settings".

Go to Copilot and AI Settings

In the Settings tab, you will see a menu on the left side. Click on "Copilot and AI". If you don't see this menu, try clicking the three horizontal lines (☰) in the top-left corner of the Settings page, or make your browser window wider.

Control the Cowork Feature

You can control the Copilot Cowork feature directly in Microsoft Edge settings. Look for the "Copilot and AI" section and find the switch for "Allow Cowork to take actions on your behalf." To turn Copilot Cowork off, simply move this switch to the "Off" position.

• To turn Copilot Cowork ON: Make sure the switch is moved to the "On" position.
• To turn Copilot Cowork OFF: Move the switch to the "Off" position.

This setting directly controls if Copilot Cowork can perform tasks for you in Edge.

Close the Settings Tab

You are finished with the settings. Close the Settings tab in Microsoft Edge. Your changes will be applied right away.

Option 2Control Copilot Cowork for All Users Using Registry Editor

If you need to manage the Copilot Cowork feature for all users on a Windows computer, you can use the Registry Editor. This method requires administrator permissions. Be very careful when editing the registry, as incorrect changes can cause problems with Windows.

We will use the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) for these changes. This tool lets you see and change registry settings.

Step 1Open Registry Editor

Open Registry Editor with administrator rights. Here’s how:

• Click the Start button.
• Type regedit.
• Right-click on "Registry Editor" in the search results.
• Choose "Run as administrator".
• If a User Account Control (UAC) message appears, click "Yes".

Step 2Go to the Correct Registry Location

After opening the Registry Editor, you need to go to the specific location for Microsoft Edge settings. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge. If the 'Edge' key is not there, you'll need to create it by right-clicking on 'Microsoft', selecting 'New', then 'Key', and naming it 'Edge'.

Step 3Create or Change the 'CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled' Value

You will create or change a registry value named 'CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled' in the correct registry location. To turn Copilot Cowork on for all users, create this DWORD (32-bit) Value, double-click the value, and set its data to 1. Ensure the Base is set to Hexadecimal.

To Turn Copilot Cowork ON for All Users:

• Right-click in the empty space on the right side.
• Select "New" then "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
• Name the new value exactly: CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled
• Double-click this new value to change it.
• In the "Value data" box, type 1.
• Make sure "Base" is set to "Hexadecimal".
• Click "OK".

The **Registry Editor** value `DisableCopilotCowork` in the path `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Edge` set to `1` allows Copilot Cowork to perform actions in Microsoft Edge. This Registry Editor setting overrides any values you've set in your personal Edge settings, and those personal settings will appear grayed out.

To Turn Copilot Cowork OFF for All Users:

• Right-click in the empty space on the right side.
• Select "New" then "DWORD (32-bit) Value".
• Name the new value exactly: CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled
• Double-click this new value to change it.
• In the "Value data" box, type 0.
• Make sure "Base" is set to "Hexadecimal".
• Click "OK".

The registry value "0" turns off Copilot Cowork for everyone. This registry setting overrides any personal configurations within Microsoft Edge.

To Let Individual Users Choose:

If you want to go back to letting each user decide through their Edge settings (Option One), remove this policy value.

• In the right-hand pane, find the CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled value.
• Right-click on it.
• Select "Delete".
• Click "Yes" when asked to confirm.

Explanation: Removing this value turns off the system-wide setting, allowing the settings within each user's Microsoft Edge browser to control Copilot Cowork again.

Step 4Close Registry Editor and Restart Edge

Once you have finished making changes in the Registry Editor, close the program. For the changes to take effect in Microsoft Edge, you must close and then reopen the browser. If Edge was already open when you edited the registry, it won't apply the new settings until you restart it.

Summary

You can control the Copilot Cowork feature in Microsoft Edge using two methods. For personal settings, adjust the Cowork option directly in Edge's "Copilot and AI" settings. For system-wide control affecting all users, use the Registry Editor with administrator rights, navigating to a specific path and setting the 'CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled' value.