Microsoft pauses Copilot installs
Microsoft halted automatic installation of the M365 Copilot app on Windows 11 and will leave deployment to IT teams — a change driven by IT pushback and a shift to web‑based wrappers for Copilot features. The move gives admins manual control over endpoint rollout at a time when agencies are tightening deployment policies for AI assistants. (technobezz.com)
Microsoft’s Microsoft 365 Message Center posted on March 16, 2026 that “Automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices with Microsoft 365 desktop apps…is temporarily disabled,” and the Message Center notice explicitly excluded customers inside the European Economic Area. (bleepingcomputer.com ) (bleepingcomputer.com) The forced rollout had been scheduled after a September 2025 plan, with Microsoft aiming to start auto‑installs in October 2025 and push a wider deployment in December 2025; corporate reporting shows the forced rollout began in early December and had been slated to complete by mid‑December. (bleepingcomputer.com ) (bleepingcomputer.com) Microsoft documented an admin opt‑out path inside the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center — Administrators can go to Customization > Device Configuration > Modern App Settings and clear the “Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 Copilot app” checkbox to prevent the app from being added to the Start Menu. (bleepingcomputer.com ) (bleepingcomputer.com) Microsoft has been testing a RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp policy to allow IT teams to uninstall Copilot from devices managed by Microsoft Intune or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), a capability showing up in testing earlier this year. (bleepingcomputer.com ) (bleepingcomputer.com) Several planned Copilot integrations that Microsoft previewed — including placing Copilot into Windows 11 notifications, the Settings app, and File Explorer — are reported to have been quietly shelved as the company scales back on “Copilot everywhere” plans. (windowscentral.com ) (windowscentral.com) Microsoft has not published a new timeline for resuming automatic installs, and official guidance for admins continues to recommend monitoring the Microsoft 365 Message Center, Targeted Release program, and the Microsoft 365 Roadmap for staged updates and configuration choices. (gadgets360.com ) (gadgets360.com)
