Microsoft Stops Force-Installing Microsoft 365 Copilot App

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Microsoft Halts Automatic Installation of Microsoft 365 Copilot App

Microsoft has suspended the automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app on Windows devices outside the European Economic Area (EEA) that have the Microsoft 365 desktop client apps installed. The decision comes after the company had initially planned to roll out the app to all eligible devices in December 2025.

Microsoft 365 Copilot App Features

The Microsoft 365 Copilot app is designed to provide a centralized interface for accessing Copilot experiences and AI-powered capabilities across Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other features like AI agents and Notebooks. However, the company has temporarily put the rollout on hold, without providing a clear explanation for the decision.

According to a Microsoft 365 message center update, the automatic installation of the Microsoft 365 Copilot app is currently disabled, although existing installations remain unaffected. IT administrators can still deploy the app via other methods, and the company has advised them to await further updates.

Enabling or Disabling Automatic Installation

When the rollout resumes, the Microsoft 365 Copilot app will be added to the Windows Start Menu and enabled by default. However, IT administrators will have the option to opt out of the automatic installation via the Apps Admin Center.

To disable the automatic installation, administrators can follow these steps:

Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center with an admin account.
Go to Customization > Device Configuration > Modern App Settings.
Select the Microsoft 365 Copilot app, then clear the Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 Copilot app check box.

Microsoft’s Plans for Copilot

Microsoft’s decision to halt the rollout comes as the company continues to expand the capabilities of its Copilot AI assistant. In September 2025, Microsoft announced plans to integrate Microsoft 365 Copilot agents into the Edge sidebar and added a new setting allowing Microsoft 365 admins to pin the Microsoft 365 Copilot app to the Windows taskbar.

The company has also been testing a new policy (RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp) that would allow IT admins to uninstall Copilot from devices managed via Microsoft Intune or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Additionally, there are reports that Microsoft may be canceling plans to ship several other Copilot-powered features, including embedding Copilot into the Windows 11 Settings app, system notifications, and the File Explorer.