Microsoft Restores Copilot as Windows 11 Sidebar, Adding 1 Docked Mode

6 articles · Updated · techpowerup.com · May 25

Windows 11 is rolling out a Copilot update that lets the AI app dock to the left or right edge, reviving the sidebar format Microsoft first showed in 2024.
Docking pushes other desktop apps aside and triggers automatic UI resizing, a design shift meant to make Copilot more visible and more tightly integrated with context menus, icons and other Windows elements.
The move reverses Microsoft's later standalone-app approach after several iterations, signaling the company still wants Copilot positioned as a primary desktop feature rather than an optional separate tool.
Users who want it gone can disable or remove Copilot through a Registry change or a Group Policy setting, though the policy method works only if they did not install the app themselves.

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