Copilot button pulled

Microsoft is stripping visible Copilot buttons out of several Windows 11 apps, starting with Notepad, Snipping Tool, Photos and Widgets, while leaving the artificial intelligence features in place. (blogs.windows.com) The clearest official statement came on March 20, 2026, when Microsoft said it was “reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points” in Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad as part of a broader Windows quality push. (blogs.windows.com) In Notepad, the Copilot icon is being replaced by a pen-shaped “Writing tools” menu, but the same functions remain: rewrite, summarize, change tone and change length. Microsoft began rolling related Notepad updates to Windows Insiders in March 2025. (blogs.windows.com) (msn.com) Snipping Tool is losing a more direct Copilot prompt. Microsoft’s current support page highlights screenshot capture, recording, color picking and text extraction, but does not foreground a Copilot button in the workflow. (support.microsoft.com) (engadget.com) Photos is a more complicated case because its artificial intelligence tools already live under feature names like Restyle Image and Image Creator. Microsoft’s support documentation says those tools remain available in Photos, with Restyle Image and Image Creator positioned as separate editing and generation features rather than a single Copilot button. (support.microsoft.com) That marks a shift from Microsoft’s earlier design direction. In March 2025, the company added a new Copilot button at the top of the Photos viewer for Windows Insiders, explicitly pushing artificial intelligence controls into the main interface. (blogs.windows.com) The change lands after Microsoft spent the past two years weaving Copilot branding across Windows, Microsoft 365 and new Copilot+ personal computers. Microsoft’s March 2026 Windows post said future integration would be more “intentional” and focused on places where Copilot is “genuinely useful and well-crafted.” (blogs.windows.com) (support.microsoft.com 1) (support.microsoft.com 2) Microsoft has made a similar distinction elsewhere between removing an icon and removing the feature itself. In Microsoft 365 apps, the company’s support page says users can disable Copilot entirely or simply remove the Copilot icon from the ribbon, treating branding and capability as separate choices. (support.microsoft.com) For Windows users, the immediate effect is simpler than the branding fight around it: fewer Copilot badges in core apps, and most of the same artificial intelligence tools still sitting underneath. (blogs.windows.com)