This guide shows you how to remove the Bing Chat (Copilot) button from the Microsoft Edge toolbar. The button, which appears as a colorful icon near the top-right of the browser, can clutter the interface or be accidentally clicked. You can hide it in a few clicks using Edge’s built-in settings, with no extra software needed.
What You’ll Need
- Microsoft Edge installed (any recent version, including the stable release channel)
- Permission to change browser settings (standard user account is fine)
Step-by-Step
- Open Microsoft Edge. Launch the browser from your desktop, taskbar, or Start menu.
- Click the three-dot menu. Look for the horizontal ellipsis (⋯) icon in the top-right corner of the window, next to your profile picture. Click it to open the main settings menu.
- Select “Settings.” In the dropdown menu, click the option labeled Settings. This opens a new tab with Edge’s configuration options.
- Go to the “Sidebar” section. In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings page, find and click Sidebar. It is usually listed near the top, under the “Profile” section.
- Turn off “Always show sidebar.” The first toggle on the Sidebar settings page is labeled Always show sidebar. Click the toggle to turn it off. This hides the entire sidebar, including the Bing Chat button and the Discover icon.
- Alternatively, use “Sidebar button” settings (if you want to keep the sidebar). If you want to keep the sidebar for other tools (like History or Favorites) but only remove the Bing Chat button, scroll down on the same Sidebar settings page. Look for a section called Sidebar button or App and notification settings. There you will find a toggle specifically for Discover or Bing Chat. Turn that toggle off.
- Check the toolbar. After making the change, the Bing Chat button should disappear from the top-right corner of the browser window. If it is still visible, close and reopen Edge to refresh the interface.
Common Mistakes
- Turning off the wrong toggle. Many users disable “Show sidebar” but then wonder why the Bing button is still there. In some Edge versions, the Bing Chat button is controlled by a separate toggle under “Sidebar button” — you need to turn off Discover specifically, not just the sidebar itself.
- Using an outdated Edge version. Older versions of Edge may not have the exact menu labels described here. If you cannot find the “Sidebar” option, update Edge first (Settings → About Microsoft Edge).
- Confusing the Bing Chat button with the Copilot icon. Microsoft has renamed Bing Chat to “Copilot” in some regions. The button may look like a small sparkle or a chat bubble. The same settings toggle controls both.
- Expecting the button to be gone from the sidebar too. If you only turned off the “Always show sidebar” toggle, the button is hidden. But if you later open the sidebar manually (by clicking the sidebar icon), you might still see the Discover entry. That is normal — the button on the toolbar is what you removed.
Tips
- Use keyboard shortcut to test. After hiding the sidebar, press Ctrl+Shift+/ (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+/ (Mac) to quickly toggle the sidebar visibility. This confirms whether the setting took effect.
- Keep the sidebar but hide only Chat. If you use the sidebar for other things, don’t disable it entirely. Just turn off the Discover/Copilot toggle under “Sidebar button” settings.
- Check the toolbar overflow. If the button is still there but you don’t see it, it might be hidden in the overflow menu (the “⋯” icon). Right-click the toolbar and select “Customize toolbar” to see all available buttons and drag them away.
- Reset if you change your mind. To bring the button back, simply re-enable the same toggles in Settings → Sidebar.
Troubleshooting
The button is still visible after following the steps. First, make sure you are on the latest Edge version. Go to edge://settings/help and let it update. Then restart the browser. If it persists, try this: open the sidebar manually (click the sidebar icon), then right-click on the Bing Chat icon inside the sidebar and select “Unpin” or “Remove from sidebar.” This sometimes overrides the global setting.
You cannot find the “Sidebar” option in Settings. This happens on very old or very new versions where Microsoft moved things around. In newer versions, the setting is under Settings → Sidebar. In older versions, it was under Settings → Appearance — look for a toggle named “Show Bing Chat button” or “Show Copilot button.” If you still can’t find it, use the search bar at the top of the Settings page and type “sidebar” — it will jump to the right section.
The button reappears after a restart. This is rare but can happen if Edge is managed by your organization (work or school). In that case, the policy HubsSidebarEnabled or DiscoverPageContextEnabled may be forcing it. You can check by visiting edge://policy and looking for those names. If they are there, you’ll need to contact your IT administrator — there is no user-side fix for enforced policies.
You want to remove it from the new tab page too. The button on the toolbar is gone, but you may still see a “Chat” or “Copilot” icon on the new tab page. That is a separate element. To hide it, click the settings gear icon on the new tab page and look for “Show Copilot” or “Show Chat” — turn it off there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will this disable Bing Chat entirely?
A: No. It only hides the button from the toolbar. You can still use Bing Chat by visiting bing.com/chat or by typing “@copilot” in the address bar.
Q: Does this affect my Edge profile or bookmarks?
A: No. This is a purely visual change. Your bookmarks, passwords, and other data remain untouched.
Q: Is there a registry or group policy to force-hide it?
A: Yes. Administrators can set the policy HubsSidebarEnabled to 0 (disabled) via Group Policy or registry. This is for enterprise environments; for personal use, the Settings toggle is enough.
Q: Why do I see “Copilot” instead of “Bing Chat” in the settings?
A: Microsoft rebranded Bing Chat to Copilot in early 2024. The setting name changed accordingly, but it controls the same button.
Q: Will the button come back after an Edge update?
A: Usually not. Microsoft respects your choice. However, major feature updates sometimes reset certain UI preferences. If it reappears, just repeat the steps.
Q: Can I hide it on mobile Edge?
A: The mobile version of Edge does not have a persistent toolbar button for Bing Chat. It appears as a floating bubble or a menu item. To remove it on Android or iOS, go to Settings → General and look for “Show Copilot” or “Bing Chat” — turn it off.
Related
General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.
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