How-To

Is Copilot Missing on Windows 11? Here’s What To Do

By Adam Davidson

Published May 21, 2024

Copilot is included in the latest versions of Windows, but you may not have it. Here’s what to do if Copilot is missing in Windows 11.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the rise of AI has been explosive in recent years. The rise of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini has been nothing short of remarkable and shows no sign of slowing down.

Microsoft has been quick to see the potential of AI and has built the Copilot AI tool into many of its products. Initially, it was accessible via a browser, but in recent updates, Copilot got its own dedicated slot in the taskbar, allowing you to pull up a Copilot window at the side of the screen at any time, without having to switch apps.

If you’re using Windows 11, you may be wondering where the Copilot icon is. For some users, the icon doesn’t appear in the taskbar. If this is happening to you, there are a few things you can try. Here’s how to fix a missing Copilot icon on Windows 11.

Is Copilot Missing from Your PC? Check Your Current Version of Windows 11

Copilot is only available in the most recent versions of Windows 11. For most people, you’ll need to be running version 23H2 to see Copilot in your taskbar. If you’re missing Copilot on Windows 11, the first thing you should do is check which version of Windows you’re running. If it’s an older version, you’ll need to update it to access Copilot.

1. Right-click the Start icon.
   
2. Select Settings.
   
3. In the left-hand menu, select System.
   
4. Scroll down and click About.
   
5. Under the Windows Specifications, you will see the current Version of Windows that you’re running.
   
6. If this isn’t 23H2, you’ll need to update Windows 11.

Update to the Latest Version of Windows 11 If Copilot Is Missing

If you’re running an older version of Windows 11, you won’t be able to use Copilot in your taskbar until you update. You can try getting Windows to look for updates; if it finds any you can update until you’re running 23H2. If you’re unable to force Windows to update to 23H2, it’s possible to do so manually.

1. Right-click the Start button.
   
2. Choose Settings.
   
3. Select Windows Update in the left-hand menu.
   
4. Under More Options ensure that Get The Latest Updates As Soon As They’re Available is toggled on.
   
5. Click the Check for Updates button.
   
6. Install any updates that are found, and then check the current version again.
7. If you still aren’t running 23H2, repeat the process until no more updates are found.
8. If Windows cannot find any more updates, but you’re still not running 23H2, you can manually update using the updater for Intel and AMD PCs or the updater for Arm PCs.
9. Download and run the relevant installer, and Windows 11 should update to 23H2.

Turn on Copilot in the Taskbar Settings

If you’re running the correct version of Windows 11, but still don’t see Copilot in your taskbar, you may need to turn the option on in the taskbar settings. These settings allow you to decide whether to display Copilot in the taskbar or not.

1. Right-click the Start icon.
   
2. Select Settings.
   
3. In the left-hand menu, click Personalization.
   
4. Scroll down and select Taskbar.
   
5. Under Taskbar Items, toggle Copilot in Windows on.
   
6. The Copilot icon should now appear in the taskbar.
   

Try a Full Shutdown

If you have the right version of Windows, but the Copilot icon is still not showing in your taskbar, you can try a full shutdown. When you shut down Windows 11, by default Windows instead goes into a kind of hibernation so that when you start up again, it can load more quickly. You can try performing a full shutdown, and when you restart you may find that Copilot is now working.

1. Click the Start icon.
   
2. Click the Power icon in the bottom-right of the window.
   
3. Hold down the Shift key and click Shut Down.
   
4. Once Windows has shut down, restart it again. You may find that it takes a little longer to boot up.
5. Once Windows has loaded, see if Copilot is now available.

Turn on Copilot in the Registry Editor

If you are unable to get Copilot to turn on from the taskbar settings, you can try turning it on through the registry. Changing this setting should allow you to see the Copilot tool in the taskbar. You should take care when making changes using the Registry Editor, as it can cause problems with your computer if you do something wrong. You might want to back up your registry before you start tinkering.

1. Press Windows+R to open a Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press enter.
   
3. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. In the main window, double-click ShowCopilotButton.
   
5. Set Value Data to 1 and click OK.
   
6. The Copilot button should appear in the taskbar.
7. If it doesn’t, try restarting your computer.

Create Your Own Copilot Shortcut

If you’re unable to get Copilot to appear in the taskbar, a workaround is to create your own desktop shortcut that will launch Copilot just as if you’d launched it from the taskbar. Frustratingly, there’s no simple way to add this shortcut to the taskbar by dragging it or using the context menu, but you can still launch it from your desktop instead.

1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop.
2. Select Show More Options.
   
3. Click New > Shortcut.
   
4. Under Type The Location Of The Item, enter the following:

   microsoft-edge://?ux=copilot&tcp=1&source=taskbar

   

5. Click Next and give your shortcut a name.
   
6. Click Finish and your shortcut is created.
   
7. Double-click the shortcut, and Copilot should open at the side of the screen, just as if you’d launched it from the taskbar.

If Copilot is Missing in Windows, Enable It Using ViveTool

If nothing else works, you can use a third-party tool called Vivetool that can enable hidden features within Windows. Using this tool, you should be able to force Windows to enable the Copilot feature.

1. Download the latest version of ViveTool from GitHub.
2. Extract the files to your computer.
3. Right-click the folder where you have saved the files and select Copy as Path.
   
4. Type Command Prompt in the search field in the taskbar.
   
5. Select Run as Administrator.
   
6. In the Terminal window, type cd and then paste the path you copied to the ViveTool folder.
   
7. Type the following command and press Enter:

   vivetool /enable /id: 44774629,44776738,44850061,42105254,41655236
   
   
   

8. Restart your computer, and you should have access to Copilot in the taskbar.

Using Copilot in Windows 11

Being able to access Copilot quickly from the taskbar without having to switch windows is a useful feature. That’s why it’s useful to know how to fix the missing Copilot icon on Windows 11. Hopefully one of the fixes above has worked; if you find any other successful methods, then please let us know in the comments.

Copilot is a helpful tool to have access to when you’re using Windows. It can do most of the things that the leading AI chatbots can do, such as generating text, summarizing content, and creating images. It also has some useful Windows integrations, such as the ability to open apps or to change settings. For example, you can quickly turn on Dark Mode just by asking Copilot. It’s definitely worth taking for a spin.