Everyday AI Guides · AI Safety, Privacy & Trust
Microsoft Copilot saves your chats so you can come back to them later, like the trip itinerary or list of gift ideas in Microsoft’s own examples. That’s handy until you want a clean slate. How to delete Copilot chat history depends on two things: whether you want to remove one chat or everything, and which account you use to sign in. This guide walks you through each path in the current Copilot app, based on Microsoft’s own support pages.
One chat: open the chat list on the left (or the menu on mobile), choose … (More) next to the chat, then choose Delete. In Copilot for Windows or macOS you can also right-click the chat and choose Delete.
All chats (personal Microsoft account): sign in to the Microsoft privacy dashboard and go to Privacy > Empower your productivity > Copilot > Your Copilot app activity history > Copilot apps. Choose Delete all activity history, then choose Clear.
All chats (work or school account): go to My Account > Data and Privacy > Data options > Copilot activity history, choose Delete, check Microsoft Copilot, and choose Delete.
First, check which Copilot account you’re using
Microsoft has separate privacy pages for personal accounts and for work or school accounts, and the steps really are different. Microsoft also says an updated version of the Copilot app for web, desktop and mobile became available on August 18, 2026, so some older guides describe menus you may no longer see. Use this table to find your path.
| How you sign in | Delete one chat | Delete all chats |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Microsoft account (Outlook.com, Hotmail or any personal email) | In the Copilot app or on the web: … (More) > Delete | Microsoft privacy dashboard: Copilot apps > Delete all activity history > Clear |
| Apple ID | Same chat menu: … > Delete | In the Copilot app: Account > Privacy > Clear my history |
| Work or school account (Microsoft Entra) | Copilot Chat: … More next to the chat title > Delete | My Account portal: Data and Privacy > Data options > Copilot activity history > Delete |
| Copilot inside Word, Excel, Outlook and other Microsoft 365 apps on a personal account | Not described per chat in the sources below (UNVERIFIED) | Privacy dashboard: Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps > Delete all activity history > Clear |
Not sure which account you’re on? Choose your profile icon in Copilot and look at the email address. If it’s your employer’s or school’s address, follow the work or school steps. This guide covers Microsoft Copilot, the assistant at copilot.com and in the Copilot apps. It doesn’t cover GitHub Copilot in code editors, which is a different product with its own settings.
How to delete Copilot chat history one chat at a time
Deleting a single conversation is the fastest fix when you only want to remove one topic, such as a chat with personal details you’d rather not keep. Microsoft documents these steps for each device.
On copilot.com in a web browser
- Sign in at copilot.com with the account you used for the chat.
- Find the chat in the Chats list on the left. If you don’t see the list, choose the sidebar icon in the upper left.
- Choose … (More) next to the chat, then choose Delete.
In Copilot for Windows or macOS
- Open the Copilot app. Your chat history appears on the left; open the sidebar if it’s hidden.
- Right-click the chat you want to remove.
- Choose Delete.
In the Copilot mobile app (iPhone or Android)
- Open the Copilot app and open the menu to see your chat history.
- Tap the three dots next to the chat.
- Tap Delete.
The same chat menu also has Rename, and in Copilot Chat it can show Move to notebook. Pick Delete only when you want the conversation gone from your history.
How to clear all Copilot chat history at once
If you’re wondering how to clear Copilot history in one go, you don’t do it chat by chat. You use an account-level page instead. Which page depends on how you sign in.
Personal Microsoft account: the privacy dashboard
- Sign in to the Microsoft privacy dashboard with the same personal Microsoft account you use for Copilot.
- Go to Privacy > Empower your productivity > Copilot > Your Copilot app activity history > Copilot apps.
- Optional but smart: choose Export all activity history first. Microsoft says this downloads a CSV file you can open to review your chats.
- Choose Delete all activity history.
- Read the “Are you sure you want to clear your Copilot activity history?” dialog, then choose Clear.
Microsoft’s chat-history page for the current app sends you to this same dashboard page to delete your entire chat history, so it’s the official route for clearing all chats.
Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps on a personal account
If you use Copilot inside Word, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint or Teams with a personal or family subscription, that history sits in a separate section of the same dashboard. Go to Your Copilot app activity history > Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps. You can export the Microsoft 365 apps history or the Copilot Chat history, or choose Delete all activity history and then Clear. If you used Copilot in both places, clear both sections.
Signed in with an Apple ID
In the Copilot app, go to Account > Privacy > Clear my history.
Work or school account
- Sign in to the My Account portal with your work or school account.
- Go to My Account > Data and Privacy > Data options and open Copilot activity history.
- Choose Delete.
- In the dialog, check the Microsoft Copilot box.
- Choose Delete to send the deletion request to Microsoft.
Microsoft says this one choice clears Copilot activity history across Excel, Forms, Loop, OneNote, Outlook, Planner, PowerPoint, Teams, Whiteboard, Word and Microsoft Copilot Chat. You can’t pick just one or two apps.
Microsoft’s work and school data-protection page says your prompts, the Bing searches they trigger and Copilot’s responses are logged, and your IT admin can view that logged information with Microsoft’s search and audit tools. Microsoft’s pages don’t say whether deleting your own history removes those admin logs, so treat that as UNVERIFIED and ask your IT team if it matters to you.
What happens after you delete Copilot chat history
Knowing how to delete Copilot chat history is half the job. It also helps to know what a delete does and doesn’t remove.
- It may not vanish instantly on work accounts. Microsoft says a deletion request is sent and full deletion “might take some time.” If an app is open, you may still see old chats until you close and reopen it.
- Your saved files stay. If Copilot helped you edit a document and you saved it, deleting history doesn’t undo those changes.
- Memory is a separate switch. Copilot can also save memories, such as your preferences and recurring tasks. Deleting chats and deleting memories are two different actions (see the next section).
- Shared links: unclear. Microsoft says anyone with a shared link can open it, and the link shows a copy of the chat from when it was created. Its pages don’t say whether deleting the chat also removes the shared copy, so that’s UNVERIFIED. If you shared something sensitive, keep that in mind. Our guide to how Microsoft Copilot share chat works explains what a shared link includes.
- No undo is documented. Microsoft’s pages don’t describe a way to restore deleted chats (UNVERIFIED either way), so export first if you might need something later.
Also delete Copilot memories (if you want a full reset)
In the current Copilot app on a personal account, Microsoft documents these steps:
- Open Copilot, sign in, open Settings and choose Personalization.
- Choose Manage next to the Saved memories toggle.
- Choose the Delete icon next to a memory, or choose Delete all memories.
To stop new memories, turn off the Saved memories toggle. Microsoft notes that turning it off does not delete memories that are already saved, so do both if you want a clean start. In Copilot Chat with a Microsoft 365 account, there’s also a Chat history toggle under Settings and more > Chat settings > Personalization. Microsoft says that turning it off means the inferences Copilot made from earlier chats are deleted after 30 days.
The idea is the same in other assistants. If you also use Gemini, see how to delete Gemini chats. For ChatGPT, our guide on how to delete ChatGPT memory completely shows why chats and memory need separate clean-ups.
How to delete Copilot chat history: which option to use
| Your goal | Best action |
|---|---|
| Remove one chat with private details | Delete that one chat from the chat list |
| Start fresh on a personal account | Export, then Delete all activity history in the privacy dashboard (Copilot apps, plus Microsoft 365 apps if you used them) |
| Stop Copilot from remembering you | Delete all memories, then turn off Saved memories |
| Clear history on a work laptop | My Account > Data options > Copilot activity history, and ask IT about logs |
| Keep a copy before deleting | Export all activity history (CSV) from the privacy dashboard first |
Copilot chat history won’t clear? Check these
| What you see | Likely reason | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| No chat list at all | You’re signed out, or the sidebar is closed | Sign in, then choose the sidebar icon in the upper left. Microsoft says Copilot keeps your history when you’re signed in. |
| Chats come back after clearing | You cleared a different account, or the app was open | Check the account under your profile icon. Close and reopen the app. |
| Menus don’t match this guide | You’re on the older Copilot app, or a work account | Update the app. Use the work or school steps if you sign in with an organization account. |
| Copilot in Word or Teams still shows old activity | That history is stored in a separate section | On a personal account, also clear “Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps” in the dashboard. |
| Using Copilot in the Microsoft Edge sidebar | Microsoft doesn’t give separate Edge delete steps in these pages | Clear history with the account-level steps above, then reopen the sidebar to check (UNVERIFIED for Edge). |
Your Copilot clean-up checklist
Use this list as a quick recap of how to delete Copilot chat history on each account and device you use.
- ☐ I know which account I use with Copilot (personal, Apple ID, or work or school).
- ☐ I exported my activity history if I might need anything later.
- ☐ I deleted single chats, or cleared all activity history for my account type.
- ☐ On a personal account, I also cleared “Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps” if I used Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook or Teams.
- ☐ I deleted saved memories and decided whether to keep Saved memories on.
- ☐ I closed and reopened Copilot and checked that the chat list is empty.
Frequently asked questions
Does Copilot delete chat history automatically?
Not on a schedule you choose. Microsoft says conversations are saved by default and that Copilot retains the last 18 months of interactions in your conversation history. Its pages don’t describe an auto-delete setting you can turn on, so if you want chats gone sooner, follow the steps above on how to delete Copilot chat history yourself.
Can I delete all Copilot chats at once?
Yes. On a personal Microsoft account, use Delete all activity history in the privacy dashboard. On a work or school account, use Copilot activity history in the My Account portal. With an Apple ID, use Account > Privacy > Clear my history.
Does deleting Copilot chats delete what Copilot remembers about me?
Not necessarily. Memories are managed separately under Settings > Personalization > Saved memories. Delete them there too if you want a full reset.
How do I clear Copilot history in Teams?
On a work or school account, the My Account “Copilot activity history” delete covers Teams along with the other Microsoft 365 apps. On a personal account, clear “Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps” in the privacy dashboard.
Are my Copilot chats visible to other people?
Microsoft says nothing you say to Copilot is made public and your conversations aren’t shared with other users. The exception is a chat you share yourself as a link, which anyone with the link can open.
The bottom line
That’s how to delete Copilot chat history on any account: remove single chats from the chat list, clear everything from the privacy page for your account type, and delete saved memories too if you want a full reset.
Keep going
- Before you share a chat, read Microsoft Copilot share chat: how to share a chat or response.
- Cleaning up another assistant? See how to delete Gemini chats and how to delete ChatGPT memory.
Sources
- Microsoft Support, Microsoft Copilot for individuals: your privacy controls and choices: deleting one chat, memories, the August 18, 2026 app update.
- Microsoft Support, Manage your Copilot activity history in the privacy dashboard: export and delete all history on a personal account.
- Microsoft Support, Conversation history in Microsoft Copilot: delete steps by device, 18-month retention, Apple ID, shared links.
- Microsoft Support, Delete your Microsoft Copilot activity history: work or school accounts.
- Microsoft Support, How Microsoft Copilot Chat history works: chat menu options and the Chat history toggle.
- Microsoft Support, Data protection when using Microsoft Copilot Chat for work or school: logging and admin access.
- Microsoft Support, Privacy FAQ for Microsoft Copilot: saved by default, not shared with other users.
This guide is a documented process based on the official Microsoft pages above, checked on October 29, 2026. We didn’t test every step on every device, and Microsoft can change menus at any time.
Microsoft, Copilot, Windows, Microsoft 365, Teams and Edge are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Apple ID, iPhone and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google LLC. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
This article was created with the help of AI, one of the many ways AI is making useful knowledge easier for everyone to create and access. It is provided for educational purposes only, to help readers understand and use AI tools better.
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