Microsoft is testing a new Windows 11 policy that could give IT administrators more control over the AI-powered Copilot assistant on Windows 11 devices. The new feature would allow admins to uninstall Microsoft Copilot from managed systems, particularly in enterprise, professional, and education environments.
The policy, called RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp, is currently rolling out to systems enrolled in the Dev and Beta Insider channels running Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535 (KB5072046).
According to Microsoft, the change is aimed at giving organizations more flexibility in managing AI tools across their networks.
“Admins can now uninstall Microsoft Copilot for a user in a targeted way by enabling a new policy titled RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp,” the Windows Insider team wrote in a blog post published on Friday.
Once enabled, the policy allows IT teams to uninstall the Copilot app from devices managed through Microsoft Intune or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). However, the policy applies only under specific conditions. The device must have both Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot installed, the Copilot app must not have been installed manually by the user, and the app has not been launched in the past 28 days.
Microsoft emphasized that this removal is a one-time action. If the policy is enabled, Copilot will be uninstalled once, but users can reinstall it later if they wish. The option is available on Enterprise, Pro, and EDU editions of Windows 11.
The setting can be enabled through the Group Policy Editor under User Configuration ? Administrative Templates ? Windows AI ? Remove Microsoft Copilot App.
Besides the Copilot changes, Microsoft’s latest beta build also addresses several bugs. These include a File Explorer issue that caused explorer.exe to crash when opening the desktop context menu and a Windows Update bug that could cause the settings page to freeze while loading.
Microsoft is also working to fix other known issues in the preview build, including a Settings app crash when interacting with audio devices and a bug where the Start menu fails to open when clicked, though it still works using the Windows key. Related features such as the notification center and quick settings may also be affected.
While the policy is in testing, it reflects Microsoft’s effort to give organizations greater control over AI features like Copilot on Windows devices. The company is encouraging testers to share feedback through the Feedback Hub (WIN + F) as development continues.
