The change model button in copilot on vscode is missing

[leonard2005n]

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Idk what happen i did a promt to activate a preview and then the button to change the model for the chat part gone missing and now the copilot is stuck to the o4-mini

[Akash1134]

Hi @leonard2005n,

I understand you're having an issue with the Copilot model selector button missing in VS Code, and you're now stuck using o4-mini. This seems to be related to a few recent changes in VS Code and Copilot. Here are some solutions to help you get back the model selector:

Why This Happened

The recent VS Code v1.99 update made changes to the chat interface, including a new unified Chat view that combines ask mode, edit mode, and agent mode. This change may have affected the display of the model selector in some configurations, especially if you were using preview features.

Solutions to Try (In Order of Likelihood)

1. Check if You're in the Chat Panel vs. Immersive View

   • According to GitHub documentation, the model selector is only available in "immersive view" for some configurations. The chat panel (sidebar) may be limited to a single model.
   • Try clicking the "Immersive" option from the Copilot menu to access the full-page version where model selection is available.

2. Update VS Code Extensions

   • Make sure your GitHub Copilot extension is updated to the latest version
   • Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X), search for GitHub Copilot, and update if available

3. Clear Cached Data and Restart

   • Press Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
   • Type "Reload Window" and select it to restart VS Code
   • If that doesn't work, try "Developer: Reload With Extensions Disabled" then re-enable Copilot

4. Check Organization Policies

   • If you're using Copilot through an organization account, your admin may have disabled "Access to alternative models for Copilot" in the organization policies
   • Contact your organization admin to check if this setting is enabled

5. Tool-based Edit Mode Setting

   • The v1.99 update introduced a new "Tool-based edit mode" (chat.edits2.enabled) which affects which models are available
   • You might need to disable this setting if you want to use models that don't support tool calling

6. Reinstall the Copilot Extension

   • Uninstall GitHub Copilot completely
   • Restart VS Code
   • Reinstall the extension

For Enterprise Users

If you're using Copilot through an enterprise subscription, the ability to switch models is controlled by your organization's settings. Your organization admin might need to enable "Access to alternative models for Copilot" in the organization Copilot policies.

Let me know which of these solutions works for you, or if you need further assistance!

[donni106]

I cannot find "Access to alternative models for Copilot" in the organization policies and nowhere else. Any idea how to enable it now?

[Kunal-Prime]

Hey @leonard2005n,

This happens after some VS Code/Copilot updates.

Try these in order (fastest first):

1. Click the Copilot icon in the sidebar → choose Immersive view (the full-screen chat) — the model button usually appears there.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + P → type “Reload Window” and hit enter.
3. Go to Extensions (Ctrl + Shift + X) → make sure GitHub Copilot is updated to the latest version.

One of these almost always brings the button back.

Which step fixed it for you? Or still stuck?