Microsoft Copilot Safety Settings

Some Microsoft Copilot safety settings depend on the plan, region or account. Use the version specific instructions below, and keep the provider’s help page open if your menu differs. A missing option should never be treated as an active protection.

Microsoft Copilot: Turn Off and Delete Saved Memories

New personal app controls separate the memory switch from deletion.

Open Settings and Personalization. Turn off Saved memories.
Next, select Manage next to that switch. Delete individual entries or select Delete all memories.

Why it matters: However, turning memory off does not erase existing entries. Therefore, keep private family details out of chats even when memory is disabled.

Disable Shared Experiences

This controls personalization across Microsoft products.

Open Settings and Personalization.
Next, turn off One shared experience.

Why it matters: However, advertising has a separate setting. Therefore, review wider Microsoft privacy choices if the account also uses Edge, Bing or MSN.

Microsoft Copilot: Review Web Search and Advertising

These are separate switches in the new personal app.

Open Settings and Personalization.
Next, turn off Web search if you do not want Copilot to retrieve public web information.
Finally, where available for adults, turn off Allow ads personalization.

Why it matters: However, disabling search can reduce access to current sources. In addition, turning off ad personalization does not necessarily remove advertising.

Review Personalization Based on Chat History

This separate route applies to Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat surfaces, rather than the new personal Copilot app. Their account and administrator rules differ.

In Copilot Chat, open Settings and more and Chat settings.
Next, select Personalization and turn off Chat history where shown. Work or school accounts may show Chat history & work insights.

Why it matters: This is different from deleting a conversation. In addition, if a toggle is absent, follow the instructions for the actual app and account.

Microsoft Copilot: Delete Individual Chats

Remove conversations you do not want saved in the chat list.

Open the Chats list and locate the conversation.
Next, select More beside it, then Delete and confirm if prompted.

Why it matters: However, also remove separate memories and shared copies. In addition, deleting history cannot recall material another person has saved.

Export or Delete All Copilot Activity

The Microsoft privacy dashboard provides account level history controls.

Sign in to the Microsoft privacy dashboard.
Next, open Privacy, Empower your productivity, Copilot and Your Copilot app activity history.
Finally, select the relevant Copilot service and its export or Delete all activity history option. Follow confirmation prompts.

Why it matters: The dashboard separates different Copilot products. Therefore, check each service you use rather than assuming one deletion covers everything.

Microsoft Copilot: Review Training Choices on Older Versions

Older Copilot versions provide named training switches. Do not assume these paths apply to the August 2026 app.

On the older web version, select your profile icon, profile name and Privacy.
Next, turn off Training on conversation activity and Training on voice conversations where available.
Finally, on the new version, review the current privacy guide and dashboard rather than searching for an undocumented replacement switch.

Why it matters: However, the current new app guide does not document the same training switches. Therefore, keep this version difference in mind when reviewing an existing setup.

Avoid Unneeded Browser Data Imports

The new app can offer an Edge import for eligible United States accounts.

Open Settings, Web browsing and Import browser data.
Next, leave Bring over your browsing data from Microsoft Edge disabled where that choice is shown. If only an import action is offered, do not start it.

Why it matters: However, imported browser information can include sensitive browsing and autofill data. In addition, this is a United States feature, not a setting parents should expect in Ireland or the UK.

Microsoft Copilot: Protect the Microsoft Account

Use the Microsoft account’s own sign in protections.

Open Microsoft account security and select Manage how I sign in where shown.
Next, review available passkeys or Two-step verification and follow setup. Check recovery methods and recent sign in activity.

Why it matters: Account security protects linked services as well as Copilot. Therefore, avoid sharing an adult login and end sessions on shared computers.

Control Billing Before Closing an Account

A Microsoft account can hold email, files, purchases and subscriptions beyond Copilot.

Open Services & subscriptions.
Next, find the relevant subscription and select Manage to review Cancel subscription or Turn off recurring billing.
Finally, if closing the entire Microsoft account, use Microsoft’s official account closure process and read every service loss warning.

Why it matters: However, uninstalling Copilot does not cancel a paid plan. In addition, deleting Copilot history is usually a narrower step than closing the whole account.

How to Use Microsoft Copilot Safely

For parents, discuss how Copilot’s voice and visual features can make it feel more personal. Ask a teenager what they have shared and which answers they trusted. Before enabling a camera or screen view, close private material. Similarly, inspect a shared conversation before sending its link, and avoid importing adult browsing data onto a family device.

Review Microsoft Copilot safety settings together, then ask for explanations rather than accepting an answer you cannot follow. For example, compare a generated summary with the original material and check unfamiliar links before opening them. Keep passwords, addresses and private photographs out of prompts, even when a privacy switch is off.

Essential Safety Advice and Current Concerns

AI can produce persuasive errors, imitate people and generate harmful material. A friendly reply can also encourage someone to reveal more than they intended. Therefore, discuss what your family considers private and how to leave an uncomfortable interaction without shame.

Never use an assistant’s reassurance as proof that a person, investment or link is genuine. If another user pressures a young person to send images, money or passwords, stop the interaction and seek help. In addition, agree a human contact for problems that feel difficult to explain.

Report Unsafe Content

Microsoft provides a reporting form for unsafe, inappropriate or illegal content.

Open the report link in Microsoft’s official young people’s safety guidance.
Choose the relevant issue, provide the necessary conversation details and submit the report.

Why it matters: However, a report is not a guarantee of immediate removal. Stop the interaction and use appropriate human support if someone is at risk.

Listen calmly if your child reports a worrying experience. For urgent safeguarding concerns, seek appropriate help rather than waiting for a platform reply. In immediate danger, contact emergency services on 112 or 999 in Ireland. CODA’s contact form is for education enquiries.

Platform Support and Regional Differences

In Ireland, the UK and the USA, follow the service’s current terms and the controls available to the actual account. Privacy law and a provider’s minimum account age are separate matters. A privacy consent rule does not give a child permission to ignore a stricter service age limit.

For privacy concerns, start with the provider’s support or privacy request route. Families in Ireland can consult the Data Protection Commission’s parent guidance. UK families can use ICO guidance, while US families can consult FTC children’s privacy guidance. These resources explain rights and reporting, rather than certifying any app as safe.

Microsoft Copilot Safety Settings Checklist

Confirm the service age rules and use the correct account type.
Review saved activity, memory, sharing and connected services.
Protect sign in, recovery access and the devices used.
Check purchases and renewal dates before accepting a trial.
Practise how to stop a chat, report a problem and ask a trusted person for help.

Microsoft Copilot Safety Settings FAQ

Do these settings make Microsoft Copilot safe for every child?

No. Begin with the provider’s age rule and suitability for the individual child. Controls reduce particular risks, while content and the way someone uses an assistant can still cause problems.

Does turning off training delete conversations?

No. Training choices, history deletion and memory are separate controls. Review each one and check information already shared with other services or people.

Avoid sharing an adult account. It can expose private history, payment details and connected services, while bypassing protections attached to a correctly identified teen account.

Return to AI Assistants or AI Safety Settings. For wider family guidance, explore Resources for Parents.

References

Account age requirements: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Check the App Version and Account: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Review Personalization Based on Chat History: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Microsoft Copilot: Delete Individual Chats: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Export or Delete All Copilot Activity: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Microsoft Copilot: Review Training Choices on Older Versions: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Microsoft Copilot: Protect the Microsoft Account: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

Control Billing Before Closing an Account: official instructions for the account rule or control above.

DPC parent privacy guides, ICO public guidance and FTC children’s privacy information. Regional rights and support resources.

About Children of the Digital Age

Children of the Digital Age provides online safety education and training for families, schools and organisations. Our work connects practical safety guidance with cybersecurity and an understanding of online behaviour.

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For education about Microsoft Copilot safety settings, contact us to discuss parent sessions or school presentations. Tell us which service your family uses and the topic you would like to understand.

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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