Summary
Microsoft will automatically install its Copilot AI application on Windows computers with Office applications starting next month, with the rollout scheduled to run from October through mid-November 2025.
Microsoft confirmed the installation targets Windows devices with existing Microsoft 365 desktop applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. “Windows devices with the Microsoft 365 desktop apps will automatically install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app. This app installation takes place in the background and would not disrupt the user,” Microsoft stated in official documentation.
Installation Options and Controls
Microsoft treats different users differently. Users in the European Economic Area are exempt from the automatic deployment. Enterprise customers can block the installation through administrative controls in the Microsoft 365 Apps admin centre.
Enterprises and EEA users can block Copilot — consumers elsewhere get no choice.
Consumer users outside the EEA will receive the software with no opt-out mechanism available, according to multiple tech publications. These users can uninstall the application through Windows Settings after installation or disable it through startup configurations.
“This app provides a centralised entry point for accessing Copilot experiences and AI-powered capabilities across Microsoft 365,” Microsoft stated in documentation sent to administrators. “This change simplifies access to Copilot and ensures users can easily discover and engage with productivity-enhancing features” — because nothing says “discovery” like software that installs itself.
Standalone App vs Embedded Features
Microsoft is installing a separate Copilot app, not AI features in Office programs. Users who have disabled Copilot capabilities within Word, Excel, or other Office programs will still get the standalone app.
Consumers can disable AI features within Office applications through privacy settings or per-app toggles; however, these controls don’t prevent the separate Copilot app from being installed.
Even with Copilot disabled in Office, Microsoft still installs the standalone app.
Personal Microsoft 365 subscribers who have downgraded to “Classic” plans to avoid Copilot pricing increases are expected to receive the app installation as well, since the rollout targets devices with Microsoft 365 desktop apps, regardless of subscription type.
What Users Actually Get
Microsoft has made its Copilot offerings needlessly complicated. The auto-installed app provides different functionality depending on user licensing:
User Type | App Installation | Copilot Features Available | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
Enterprise (basic M365) | Yes | Web-grounded chat only | Included |
Enterprise (Copilot licensed) | Yes | Work data access, advanced agents, priority AI models | $30/month per seat |
Consumer (M365 Personal/Family) | Yes | 60 AI credits/month for basic features, not full Copilot | $30/year price increase |
Consumer (Classic plans) | Yes | No Copilot features | Previous pricing |
EEA users (any subscription) | No | N/A | N/A |
The app essentially serves as a gateway to Microsoft’s various AI services, with the actual functionality determined by what users have paid for.
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Market Context and Enterprise Resistance
Microsoft is pushing automatic deployment as enterprises refuse to pay Copilot’s pricing. At $30 per month per seat for commercial customers, the AI service doubles baseline Office costs, creating budget constraints that have limited voluntary adoption. Enterprise Agreement clients struggle to negotiate any discounts on Copilot.
Copilot doubles Office costs to $30 per user monthly, with little room for enterprise discounts.
Take Informatica, a cloud software firm with 5,000 employees. Despite being positioned as an ideal candidate for AI adoption, the company’s CIO, Graeme Thompson, rejected Copilot after testing, citing the inability to quantify return on investment.
“It’s easy for an employee to say, ‘Yes, this will help me,’ but hard to quantify how. And if they can’t quantify how it’ll help them… It's not going to be a long discussion” over software value, Thompson told The Information.
Microsoft is auto-installing the Copilot app across Windows devices with Office applications. The app provides basic chat functionality to anyone with a Microsoft 365 subscription, with advanced work-integrated features requiring the expensive per-seat licenses that enterprises have been rejecting.
🖐 Gain leverage against rising Copilot costs. Learn more: Microsoft Enterprise Agreement Negotiation.
Technical Implementation Details
The Copilot app installs itself silently without stopping user work, Microsoft confirmed in administrator guidance. Once installed, the app appears enabled by default in the Windows Start menu, although this varies by system setup.
Microsoft advised administrators to prepare support teams and warn users before the app appears “to reduce confusion and support requests,” presumably because discovering unexpected new software tends to generate helpdesk calls.
The app uses Microsoft’s existing distribution system, with independent update capabilities rather than relying on the Microsoft Store. IT departments need to allow access to the Microsoft 365 Content Delivery Network (CDN) on the *.office.net domain.
Regulatory and Competitive Considerations
Microsoft excludes EEA devices from automatic installation, possibly reflecting European regulatory pressures regarding user consent, although the company hasn’t specified the legal basis.
Competition authorities may view this as leveraging Windows' dominance to promote Microsoft’s AI services. The timing comes after Microsoft’s recent EU settlement regarding the bundling of Teams with Office, in which the company agreed to unbundle its collaboration software.
Unlike Google and Slack, Microsoft deploys Copilot without asking for user consent.
This automatic deployment also differs from typical industry practice. Google requires explicit user consent for AI features in Workspace, whilst Slack introduced AI capabilities as optional add-ons rather than automatic installations.
Consumer Impact and Removal Options
Consumers can uninstall the app through standard Windows programs, disable it in startup settings, or hide it from the Start menu whilst keeping the underlying installation.
Microsoft hasn’t stated whether uninstalled apps will be reinstated during future system updates, although the company has previously shown enthusiasm for ensuring users don’t lose access to helpful software, such as Microsoft Edge and Windows search features.
All consumer Microsoft 365 plans — including Classic — will still receive the Copilot app.
The installation affects all personal Microsoft 365 subscribers, including Family and Personal plans. Users who switch to Classic plans to avoid Copilot pricing increases will also receive the app, as installation runs separately from subscription features.
What Happened to User Choice?
Microsoft used to ask users before installing AI features. Now it doesn't. First, it was the Windows Recall disaster; now, it's the Copilot rollout, the consequences of which are yet to be seen.
Redmond wants as many people as possible to use its AI tools, regardless of what users actually want. The October rollout comes as Microsoft faces competitive pressure and potential regulatory scrutiny. Microsoft has spent billions on AI infrastructure, including $30 billion promised to the UK, and needs people actually using the technology to justify those investments.
Companies have more clout than consumers, so Microsoft treats them differently. Enterprises can block the installation, whilst home users cannot.