Windows 11 will let users hide the floating Copilot button

Microsoft is changing course on the floating Copilot button it recently added to Word, Excel and PowerPoint, after users complained that the on-canvas control was intrusive. A Microsoft 365 Insider blog post published on May 21 said the company is adding more ways to control where the Copilot Dynamic Action Button appears. The change follows a broader Microsoft 365 rollout that started in December 2025 and was expected to complete by May 2026, according to a Microsoft 365 message center notice. Windows Latest first reported on May 22 that Microsoft was responding after backlash to the feature. ### What exactly is Microsoft changing? Microsoft said on May 21 that users will get a new “Move to ribbon” option for the Copilot Dynamic Action Button. The option will appear when users right-click the button, letting them shift the Copilot entry point away from the document canvas and back to the ribbon. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) The company also said the existing dock option will remain in place. Users can still dock the button to the edge of the window, and Microsoft said it is updating that behavior so the button stays docked while they work instead of returning to its original position after they use Copilot. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) ### Where did the floating button come from? Microsoft 365’s message center said the company was replacing the older ribbon entry point with a new Dynamic Action Button at the bottom-right corner of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The notice said the new interface was designed to make Copilot easier to discover inside the apps and included contextual prompts plus updated keyboard and screen-reader access. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) The rollout notice, published on Nov. 22, 2025 and updated on May 11, 2026, said deployment would start in December 2025 and complete by May 2026. The support page for the feature says the button appears in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on Windows, Mac and the web, while Outlook keeps its existing Copilot entry points. ### Why did Microsoft reverse course? (mc.merill.net) Katie Kivett of Microsoft wrote in the company’s Insider blog that Microsoft was “hearing the need for more control over how Copilot appears.” She said the company had seen “increased engagement” with Copilot in Office apps after the update, but was making adjustments based on feedback. (mc.merill.net) Microsoft’s support page also says, “We’ve heard your feedback,” adding that Copilot should feel “helpful and intuitive, not disruptive.” Windows Latest described the company’s move as a response to backlash over the floating control in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) ### Does this mean Copilot is being removed? Microsoft’s support documentation says Copilot’s capabilities have not changed and that the update affects only how users open it. The Dynamic Action Button remains a primary entry point, and Microsoft is also standardizing keyboard shortcuts across apps, including Alt + C on Windows and F6 across platforms. (support.microsoft.com) The company’s stated direction remains broader integration of Copilot into Office workflows. In the Insider post, Microsoft said the latest controls are part of ongoing changes to how Copilot is integrated into Word, Excel and PowerPoint. ### When will users see the new controls? (support.microsoft.com) Microsoft said the updates will start rolling out next week in Word, Excel and PowerPoint on Windows, Mac and the web. The first visible change will be the right-click option to move the Copilot button to the ribbon, alongside the updated docking behavior. (techcommunity.microsoft.com) Microsoft directed users seeking more detail to its support documentation covering end-user and IT administrator configuration. The support page was updated in May 2026, and the company’s Insider post said the rollout would begin the week after May 21. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)