Microsoft to Let Office Users Disable Floating Copilot Button

Microsoft is rolling out Office app updates next week that allow users to disable a floating Copilot button. The button appeared in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in recent weeks and floats above the bottom right-hand section of spreadsheets or documents.

The floating Copilot button has drawn complaints from users, particularly in Excel, because it obstructs cells and cannot be fully disabled. Microsoft already offered a dock option that makes the button smaller.

A new option will let users move the button to the ribbon so it no longer floats on top of documents. This option will appear next week when users right-click the Dynamic Action Button. Katie Kivett, partner group product manager at Microsoft, said the company is responding to feedback about control over Copilot's appearance.

"While we are seeing increased engagement with Copilot in Office apps with this update, we are also hearing the need for more control over how Copilot appears," Kivett said. The change comes one month after Microsoft began removing unnecessary Copilot buttons from various Windows 11 apps.