Turn of copilot in new outlook

I am a long time Microsoft developer, but recently it has become unbearable. Trying to get rid of Copilot is harder than getting rid of cockroaches in a New York apartment. Just when you thought you killed them all, another one shows up.
As with the cockroaches, the only real solution may be moving to a different, cleaner place.

This is happening to me as well and it is maddening as heck.  It's as though we have no choice but to stay connected and forced into compliance to their AI while given a false sense of control over our information.  Turn off Co-Pilot.  This is unacceptable, and will indeed force me to find another way to conduct business.

Every time I turn Copilot off in the web version, it gets turned back on. This has happened multiple times in the last few days; it seems to come back after a page reload or browser restart. I don't use it, and I don't like it. It's the equivalent of a moron who doesn't understand my job constantly hanging over my shoulder trying to tell me how to do it. Ignoring users' stated preferences is a terrible look. There needs to be a real, permanent way for people to opt out.

Came here because I'm also getting absolutely fed up with Copilot turning itself back on in Outlook (though I use the browser version). I don't want it. I never asked for it. I don't need your stupid AI reading my emails. That's a huge breach of privacy that I never agreed to.

Thank you for the reply, but I need to clarify the situation because it doesn’t match how things actually work.

I’m using a personal Microsoft account, I’m not part of any organization, I don’t have an admin, and there is no “organizational policy” that could affect Outlook. So the part of the answer referring to administrators or organization settings simply doesn’t apply here.

The second point: in the new Outlook there is no reliable option that actually turns off Copilot. There is only a visual toggle, but it:

-does not disable the feature server‑side

-turns itself back on after restarting the app

-does not prevent Copilot from appearing in the interface

In other words, Copilot is integrated at the service level (Outlook.com backend), not at the level of local settings. Because of that, the user cannot disable it, even if they want to.

I understand that Microsoft is in the process of “gradually rolling out new AI features,” but the current situation is that:

-there is no user‑controlled way to permanently disable Copilot

-there is no setting that actually performs that function

-there is no admin who could disable it, since this is a personal account

-there is no documentation stating that disabling Copilot is supported

For that reason, it would be helpful if Microsoft clearly communicated that Copilot in the new Outlook is an obligatory part of the interface for Outlook.com accounts and that users cannot remove it, instead of suggesting that the solution is in settings or with an administrator.

If there are plans to introduce a real option to disable Copilot in the future, it would be good to confirm that officially. If not — then that should also be stated clearly, so users don’t waste time searching for an option that doesn’t exist.

If you want to turn off Copilot in the new Outlook, you can check the settings or admin controls. In many cases, Copilot features are managed by your Microsoft account or organization settings. If you are using a work account, your admin may need to disable it for you. You can also look in Outlook settings under AI or Copilot options (if available), as Microsoft is still updating these features.

Since you've already tried the settings route, have you looked into switching back to "Classic" Outlook? For now, the older version of Outlook (the one that doesn't look like a web browser) still respects traditional settings and doesn't force the Copilot/Editor bundle as aggressively.

I'm having this issue too. It never used to do this, I turned off copilot in my inbox the day it rolled out lol, first noticed this a few days ago. I've switched to Outlook's desktop app for now, hoping MS patches this bug but I'm not getting my hopes up.

I understand the frustration — the behavior you’re describing does feel inconsistent.

In the new Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Copilot is not just a standalone toggle. Some features (like summarize, suggestions, etc.) are tied to broader “intelligent services,” which is why turning it off doesn’t always persist the way users expect.

A few things you can try to reduce or control it:

1. Check privacy / connected experiences settings

Go to Settings → General → Privacy

Look for “Connected experiences” or similar options

Disabling these can reduce Copilot-related features (though it may affect spell check, as you noticed)

2. Check Copilot settings specifically

In Settings → Copilot (if available in your version)

Turn off suggestions / summaries individually if possible

3. Make sure Outlook is updated

Some Copilot behaviors are still being adjusted, and updates may change how the toggle works

4. Organizational policies (if work account)

If this is a work/school account, admins may be re-enabling features via policy, which can override user settings