Microsoft's latest Windows update accidentally uninstalled Copilot

If you woke up to a Windows PC suddenly without Microsoft's Copilot app installed, you didn't dream the last few years of AI hype, Microsoft just made a mistake. The latest monthly Windows 11 update that rolled out on March 11 "unintentionally uninstalled and unpinned" the AI assistant, according to a Microsoft support article spotted by The Verge.

Microsoft is aware that Copilot's gone missing and is "working on a resolution to address this issue." For now, if you want Copilot back, you can redownload its app from the Microsoft Store and manually pin it to your taskbar. Just like any new feature, since Copilot was added to Windows in 2023, there's been people interested in removing it. If you weren't satisfied with unpinning the AI from your taskbar, you previously had to do a bit of work to actually remove it. Microsoft's update saves you some time — at least until it's fixed.

Whether people like it or not, proving Copilot is useful in a variety of settings is still a priority for Microsoft. In March, the company shared its plans for a "Copilot for Gaming" that will live inside the Xbox app and help players with games. Microsoft has also started to offer some of its premium AI features, like the Copilot's Voice mode, for free. Based on The Verge's reporting, Microsoft is planning to announce even more new Copilot features at an event celebrating the company's 50th anniversary in April.