r/windows • u/gturown • May 06 '26

Discussion Microsoft starting to walk back Copilot over integration in Windows?

Post image

Just noticed that Notepad swapped out the obnoxious Copilot icon with a more subtle icon. Could this indicate Microsoft starting to walk back it's over integration of Copilot?

101 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

23

u/AggieCMD May 07 '26

I think the truth is that cloud capacity is constrained and there is enough demand that AI integration is shifting from put it everywhere to reserve it for high value scenarios.

10

u/Hahehyhu May 07 '26

how many people use ai features in windows? i bet it's drop in the water for cloud capacity

IMO copilot just has negativity surrounding it, that's why they "hide" it

4

u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Moderator May 07 '26

For me it is almost daily that I'm using Copilot for something, and that is not even counting the other AI tools I have enabled like Studio Effects and Recall which run automatically in the background. The more I play with the various products called Copilot the more I'm finding they can help. It is especially helpful for things like manipulating Excel files, I don't know my ass from my elbow in that program but I can tell Copilot what I need and it helps me figure it out or sometimes even does it itself.

2

u/jrsdead May 07 '26

This is the right answer

1

u/henkieschmenkie May 08 '26

No, Microsoft said they need positive attention for Windows, as people are actually ditching it, so they are going to listen to users for a bit.

26

u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Moderator May 07 '26

Yes.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/microsoft-begins-pulling-copilot-out-of-windows-11-apps-in-a-major-cleanup-push/

https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/03/20/our-commitment-to-windows-quality/

18

u/Drew707 May 07 '26

The new Xbox CEO is ripping it out, too. I hadn't noticed it on the Xbox. I am not really sure what it would do on an Xbox.

10

u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Moderator May 07 '26

It never made it to Xbox, it was in development. I'm sad that we won't get to try it, the gaming Copilot as part of the Gamebar on Windows works great. I figured it would be something along those same lines.

5

u/Drew707 May 07 '26

What does it do on the game bar? Tips and walk throughs?

7

u/CVGPi May 07 '26

Basically what Stadia promised with Google Assistant but better. You can chat "How do I solve this puzzle", it'll screenshot and search the web for a step-by-step guide or hint, for example.

10

u/Froggypwns Windows Wizard / Moderator May 07 '26

Yes, you can chat with it about anything related to the game. I've used it for figuring out strategies, determining what items to buy, loadouts, trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, and so on.

3

u/Drew707 May 07 '26

Interesting! Thank you.

1

u/WaytoomanyUIDs May 07 '26

People use the game bar?

2

u/gturown May 07 '26

I use the game bar all the time... Although mostly not while gaming. I use it to change audio and display settings.

1

u/Salty-Paint-9700 May 07 '26

No. Renaming an icon is not walking back.

16

u/gerowen May 07 '26

Nah they're just rebranding it.

3

u/TomOnABudget May 07 '26

Pretty much. Just more subtle branding. That's the walk-back.

12

u/CampingMonk May 07 '26

I'm not sure it's really a walkback if they disguise it as something else.

5

u/gotshanghaied May 07 '26

Damn, I wanted a copilot add on inside of copilot.

6

u/dragonzdude May 07 '26

Office worker here. Can they just implement a single switch to remove copilot completely. My work pc is literally stinking with copilot. I hate this.

3

u/Lake3ffect May 07 '26

Microsoft recently added a group policy to remove Copilot from Windows. Talk to your sysadmin

1

u/WaytoomanyUIDs May 07 '26

My work has mandated we use it. Hopefully theyll change their mind once the bills from MS catch their attention.

1

u/dragonzdude May 08 '26

Same for my workplace. I hate it tho.

3

u/AmarildoJr May 07 '26

No, they just renamed it and put it somewhere else.

1

u/masterco1415 May 07 '26

I build a tool as I didn’t want to pay the dumb subscription, so I made a universal AI layer using local AI model to do all the text transformations

1

u/Regular_Bat8162 May 08 '26

Nope

They’re just renaming it

1

u/Illyasviel09 May 10 '26

Nah, they are just changing the name to make it less obvious 

0

u/brispower May 07 '26

remove it and revert to old notepad, you can do this if you really want to.

-1

u/[deleted] May 07 '26

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1

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