Microsoft Lets Office Users Remove Floating Copilot Button After User Backlash

Microsoft will roll out updates to its Office applications next week that allow users to disable a floating Copilot button — a change that comes after the feature drew sustained complaints, particularly from Excel users who said the button obscured cells and could not be fully turned off.

The button appeared in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in recent weeks, floating above the lower-right section of documents and spreadsheets. Excel users reacted most negatively, citing the way the element blocks cells during active work.

The update will give users the option to move the button from its floating position back to the application ribbon, where it will no longer overlay content. The option will become available when users right-click what Microsoft calls the "Dynamic Action Button."

"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," said Katie Kivett, partner group product manager at Microsoft. "While one of our goals is to evolve Copilot to be more adaptive and flexible over time, we are making some adjustments in the short term."

Microsoft already offered a dock option that made the floating button somewhat smaller, but the new ribbon placement represents a more complete solution for users who want the button entirely out of their working area.

The Office change arrives roughly a month after Microsoft also began removing what it described as "unnecessary" Copilot buttons from various Windows 11 applications — a broader pattern of scaling back the AI assistant's presence across the company's software ecosystem.

Microsoft has spent several years embedding Copilot controls across Windows and Office products, a strategy that drew criticism from users who found the additions more disruptive than useful. The decision to give users greater control signals a shift in how the company is calibrating the assistant's visibility, at least in the near term.

Whether the adjustments will satisfy users who want a more permanent opt-out — or those who object to the button's presence entirely — remains to be seen as the updates begin rolling out next week.