Microsoft Trims Copilot Features

Microsoft published a Windows Insider post on March 20, 2026 titled “Our commitment to Windows quality” and said the first round of changes will be previewed to Insiders in late March and throughout April. (blogs.windows.com) Insider Preview build 26220.7535 introduced a Group Policy named RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp that conditionally uninstalls the consumer Copilot app when specific criteria are met — both Microsoft 365 Copilot and the standalone Copilot app exist, the app wasn’t user‑installed, and it hasn’t been launched in the past 28 days. (allthings.how) Microsoft documentation and community guides show admins can centrally disable Copilot with the TurnOffWindowsCopilot policy (via Group Policy or MDM), which prevents use and removes the Copilot icon from the taskbar. (learn.microsoft.com) Intune and Windows Autopilot for Education automatically apply enrollment and configuration policies during OOBE and after remote resets, letting schools deliver images that receive the latest Intune settings (including Copilot disablement) without manual reimaging. (learn.microsoft.com) Security and management commentary notes the RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp policy was designed to help organizations standardize device images by removing the unmanaged consumer Copilot channel and directing users toward governed Microsoft 365 Copilot experiences that include enterprise data protections. (redteamnews.com) The RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp behavior is per‑user, conditional, and does not block a user from reinstalling Copilot later, so imaging and admin testing plans must include validation of reinstall and user‑initiated flows. (allthings.how) Microsoft’s quality reset also commits to lowering Windows’ baseline memory footprint and giving admins more control over update timing and notifications — changes Microsoft said are intended to free RAM for apps and reduce update disruption across devices. (blogs.windows.com)