Microsoft Is Removing Copilot Buttons From These Windows 11 Apps

Last month, Microsoft announced that it planned to remove "unnecessary" Copilot features in Windows 11. The news was a bit shocking to say the least: Microsoft has been one of the biggest proponents of generative AI, pushing the technology into as many corners of its apps and OS as possible—despite negative feedback from users. Now, it seems the company is paying attention, and is actually sticking to its word. As spotted by The Verge's Tom Warren , Microsoft has already started removing some "unnecessary" Copilot buttons from certain Windows apps. Warren notes that the latest Windows Insider version of the Notepad app is missing the Copilot button. In its place, Microsoft has added a "writing tools" menu. The Snipping Tool also has a similar situation: When you select an area to take a snapshot of, you won't find the Copilot button anymore. It's a small start, but at least the company is starting the removal process. In his announcement last month, Pavan Davuluri (Microsoft's President of Windows & Devices) revealed that the company would remove Copilot from both Notepad and the Snipping Tool, but also Photos and Widgets. If the trend holds, expect to see these apps lose their Copilot buttons next. The keyword here really is "buttons" though. As Warren highlights for The Verge, Microsoft seems to be largely retaining the AI features themselves. "Writing tools" in Notepad still has Microsoft's AI writing tools, in case users still want to access those options. But b…