Microsoft lets users remove Copilot button

Microsoft has added a control that lets users remove the floating Copilot button from the document area in Word, Excel and PowerPoint and move it back to the ribbon, according to reports published on May 22. The change follows complaints from Microsoft 365 users who said the new interface element was intrusive and, in Excel, could get in the way of on-screen work. The Register reported that the option is rolling out this week after a burst of backlash in Microsoft’s forums. The Verge separately reported that Microsoft said it was hearing demand for “more control” over how Copilot appears. ### What exactly changed in Microsoft 365? Microsoft’s change centers on the Copilot “Dynamic Action Button,” a floating control that had been placed inside the workspace rather than only in the top toolbar. The new menu option, labeled “Move to ribbon,” sends the Copilot control back to the ribbon, The Register reported. (theregister.com) The earlier design had made Copilot more prominent inside Word documents, Excel worksheets and PowerPoint slides. Reports from Office-focused outlets and user posts described the button as persistent and positioned at the lower right of the workspace. ### Why did users object so quickly? Microsoft’s user forums showed immediate frustration after the floating button appeared, according to The Register. (theregister.com) One user called it “infuriating,” while another wrote that putting a button over working content “was not a good move by Microsoft,” the publication reported. (office-watch.com) Excel drew particular complaints because screen space is tight and worksheet visibility matters. Several reports said users objected that the button could cover cells or interfere with navigation in dense spreadsheets. ### How fast did Microsoft reverse course? May 12 was the date Microsoft had said it would streamline access to Copilot in its productivity apps, according to reports tracking the feature rollout. (theregister.com) By May 22, the company was already changing course and adding a way to move the button back to the ribbon. (pureinfotech.com) The Register said Microsoft responded in less than two weeks after the initial announcement. That sequence turned a design tweak into a quick product correction, with the company keeping Copilot in the apps but changing where the entry point sits. ### Did users already have a way to turn Copilot off? (theregister.com) Microsoft already offered settings to disable Copilot features in Excel and Word, The Register reported, but that did not answer complaints about the new floating button itself. The new control addresses placement rather than removing Copilot from Microsoft 365 altogether. (theregister.com) Other reports said some users had been looking for a direct off switch for the floating icon and could not find one in their existing settings menus. That gap appears to have helped drive the backlash. ### What does Microsoft say now? The Verge reported that Microsoft acknowledged the feedback and said it was seeing demand for “more control” over how Copilot appears in Office apps. (theregister.com) The Register also pointed to a broader rethink around Copilot entry points, citing Windows chief Pavan Davuluri’s earlier pledge to reduce those entry points and reconsider how Copilot is integrated into Windows. (learn.microsoft.com) This latest adjustment does not remove Copilot from Microsoft 365. The rollout this week instead gives users a specific placement choice in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, with the “Move to ribbon” option now the clearest sign of that reversal. (theregister.com) (theverge.com)