Yesterday, Microsoft rolled out its first Windows 11 preview release for 2026 in the form of Build 26220.7535 (KB5072046) for the Dev and Beta Channels. It contains several new features, such as Copilot-powered image descriptions for Narrator, a new icon for Windows Spotlight, enhancements to Cross Device Resume, and more. Interestingly, it also contains a new Group Policy for managed devices, but its implementation is very strange.
Basically, the latest Preview build contains a new policy called RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp for Windows 11 Enterprise, Pro, and EDU SKUs. Looking at the name, you would think that it simply allows IT admins to remove Copilot from tenant devices, but this is not really the case. This policy only applies to devices and users who meet all of the following conditions:
- Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot are both installed
- The Microsoft Copilot app was not installed by the user
- The Microsoft Copilot app was not launched in the last 28 days
This essentially means that IT admins will only be able to uninstall the Copilot app for customers where their device has both Copilot apps installed by either a clean install or by the IT team itself, as long as the Copilot app has not been opened in a month. So, even if you accidentally open the Copilot app for a second because it"s there in your Windows taskbar, the Copilot app won"t be uninstalled.
This is a rather strange implementation, but it makes sense from Microsoft"s business perspective. While, on the surface, the firm is portraying the impression that IT admins can simply remove the Copilot app from managed devices (as they should ideally be able to), they don"t really have that much control, as indicated by the criteria for Copilot removal set above. IT admins are not typically shackled in this way, unless there"s a technical reason for a limitation, but this seems to be more about making sure that Copilot sticks around for as long as possible on managed devices. It shouldn"t be easy to remove, even for IT admins.
All in all, this is not really surprising, given how heavily Microsoft has been pushing Copilot, despite persistent backlash. While some may take it as a positive that the Redmond tech giant is at least posturing to its customers to some extent, it"s undeniable that the implementation of this group policy is needlessly complicated - seemingly on purpose - for the end customer. You can check out the policy in User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows AI > Remove Microsoft Copilot App and file any feedback directly to Microsoft in the Feedback Hub (Win + F).