Bye, Copilot: Microsoft is making Copilot a hands-free experience on Windows

Microsoft is working on a de-activation phrase for Microsoft 365 Copilot, making the UX a hands-free experience.

Last month, Microsoft announced that it is introducing a new wake phrase, "Hey, Copilot", that Windows customers can speak to trigger their Copilot experience. This brought back memories of the ill-fated "Hey, Cortana" from 2015, but the jury's still out on how Copilot will fare in this domain. Now, Microsoft is looking to go one step ahead in this area by introducing a new phrase.

In an update on its Microsoft 365 Roadmap, Microsoft has noted that while Microsoft 365 Copilot on Windows already has voice activation through "Hey, Copilot", it is in the process of developing a "semantic goodbye word" as well. In simple terms, you'll be able to invoke Copilot's voice interface through "Hey, Copilot" and disengage with it through a phrase like "Bye, Copilot", making it a hands-free interaction.

Roadmap ID 529864 reads:

Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365): Semantic Goodbye word for voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Now users can close a voice session on Windows by simply saying bye or goodbye when they want to close voice session. This, paired with "Hey Copilot" wake word, provides them with complete hands-free experience for voice in Microsoft 365 Copilot on Windows devices.

It is important to note that this UX modification relates to the Copilot app that is available to all Windows PCs, offering the Microsoft 365 Copilot experience. It does not refer to the built-in Copilot integration available just for Copilot+ PCs. This essentially means that the UX update will be available to a lot more customers since it encompasses all Windows 11 users and Windows 10 remainers, rather than just those with Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs.

That said, it's worth highlighting that a preview for this feature is seemingly scheduled for November 2025, but Microsoft has made no such public mention of it so far outside the Microsoft 365 Roadmap item. General availability is scheduled for next month, but these dates can vary depending upon various factors, so don't rely on them too much.