LG has announced that it will allow users to delete the Microsoft Copilot shortcut installed on its newer TVs, following several reports that highlighted the unremovable icon. In a statement to The Verge, LG spokesperson Chris De Mariasaid that the company “respects consumer choice and will take steps to allow users to delete the shortcut icon if they wish.”
See also: Microsoft Copilot's holiday ad is full of empty promises
Last week, a user on the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit posted an image of the Microsoft Copilot icon in his LG TV’s app drawer, with no option to delete it. “The new software update on my LG TV installed Microsoft Copilot, which cannot be deleted,” the post reads. The post has garnered over 36,000 upvotes as users express their growing frustration with the ubiquitous presence of artificial intelligence.
Both LG and Samsung announced plans to add Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant to their TVs in January, but it appears to be appearing on TVs after a recent webOS update.
See also: Microsoft: Investigating Copilot issue regarding file editing
De Maria adds that the icon is a “shortcut” to the Microsoft Copilot web app that opens in the TV’s browser, and not “an app-based service built into the TV.” He also adds that “features like microphone input are only enabled with the customer’s explicit consent.”
When asked when LG will start allowing users to delete the Copilot icon, De Maria said there is no "definite time" yet.
See also: Microsoft: Azure Firewall integration with Security Copilot
Following recent coverage of Microsoft Copilot’s arrival on LG TVs, the company would like to clarify that Microsoft Copilot is provided as a shortcut icon to enhance customer accessibility and convenience. It is not an app-based service built into the TV. When users select the Copilot shortcut, the Microsoft website opens via the TV’s browser, and features such as microphone input are only enabled with the customer’s explicit consent.
