Copilot branding pulled

Microsoft has started stripping the Copilot name out of some Windows 11 apps while leaving the artificial intelligence features in place. (blogs.windows.com) The first visible rollback showed up in Notepad for Windows Insiders this week. In version 11.2512.28.0, the Copilot logo was replaced with a pen icon, and the menu label changed to “Writing tools.” (windowslatest.com) Those tools still do the same jobs: write, rewrite, and summarize text with artificial intelligence. Microsoft also moved the app’s switch from “AI features” to “Advanced features,” which makes the change look more like a rebrand than a removal. (windowslatest.com) Microsoft signaled the shift on March 20, 2026, when Windows chief Pavan Davuluri said the company would be “more intentional” about where Copilot appears. In that post, Microsoft said it would cut “unnecessary Copilot entry points” in Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets, and Notepad. (blogs.windows.com) Snipping Tool appears to be part of the same cleanup. Reporting this week said the app’s Copilot button, which had appeared after screen selections with Quick markup, has been removed for users as Microsoft pares back those entry points. (windowslatest.com) The branding retreat landed days after scrutiny of Microsoft’s Copilot terms of use. Tech outlets highlighted language saying Copilot was “for entertainment purposes only” and warned users not to rely on it for important advice. (techcrunch.com) Microsoft said that phrase was old wording from Copilot’s Bing era, not a statement of current product positioning. A company spokesperson told PCMag the line was “legacy language” and would be changed in the next update because it no longer reflected how Copilot is used. (pcmag.com) The current Copilot terms page on Microsoft’s site says the terms took effect on October 24, 2025, and lists broader uses across standalone apps, websites, third-party platforms, Actions, Labs, and Shopping. The same page says Microsoft revised the code of conduct and rewrote the terms to make them “clearer and simpler.” (microsoft.com) Microsoft is not backing away from Copilot itself. It is removing some of the logos and buttons that put Copilot in front of Windows users, while keeping the system underneath and rewriting the legal language around what the assistant is supposed to be. (blogs.windows.com)