Microsoft is removing Copilot branding from several built-in Windows applications, the company confirmed in a recent blog post. Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets, and Notepad are all set to lose their Copilot buttons, with at least one change already visible in a preview build.
The move follows user feedback and a public statement from the Windows team acknowledging that Copilot had been integrated into too many places. Pavan Davuluri, a Windows executive, wrote in a company blog post last month: “You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows.” He continued: “As part of this, we are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points.”
What’s already changed
Snipping Tool’s Copilot button has already been removed. In Notepad, as first reported by VideoCardz, the latest preview build (version 11.2512.28.0) replaces the Copilot button in the top-right corner with a pen icon labeled “writing tools.” That control opens the same AI writing functionality that was previously presented under the Copilot name.
Photos and Widgets are expected to receive the same treatment. Neither has appeared in a public build yet with the change applied, but the Windows Blog post makes clear they are part of the planned rollout. Microsoft has not given a specific timeline for when those apps will see the update.
The AI features stay
None of the underlying AI tools are being removed. The change is cosmetic: the functionality remains, while the Copilot name and icon disappear from the interface. Microsoft is renaming the entry points rather than removing what they lead to. In Notepad, the “writing tools” label now does what the Copilot button previously did.
Microsoft has framed its long-term Windows direction around what it calls an “agentic OS,” a platform where AI can perform tasks and access files automatically. That direction has not changed with this announcement. The debranding applies to how AI features are surfaced in specific built-in apps, not to the broader AI strategy. Copilot remains available through its dedicated app and the Windows search bar.
Context behind the change
Copilot buttons began appearing in Windows built-in apps over the past two years as Microsoft worked to integrate its AI assistant across the operating system. The additions were not universally welcomed. Users who did not want AI tools accessible from within Notepad, Photos, or Snipping Tool had no straightforward way to remove or hide those buttons.
The blog post from Davuluri signals that Microsoft heard those objections. The current plan renames the Copilot entry points across those four apps. The AI functionality they provided remains accessible, now through controls with different labels.