Install GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio

GitHub Copilot Completions and GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio enable enhanced AI-assisted development in Visual Studio, helping you be more productive and efficient when writing code.

In this article, you learn how to install and manage GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio 2022 version 17.10 or later.

Install using the Visual Studio Installer

1. Launch the Visual Studio Installer.

2. Select the installation of Visual Studio you want to modify, and then select Modify.

3. Select any workload, for example, .NET desktop development.

4. Select GitHub Copilot from the list of Optional components, and then select Modify to install the extension.

   

   Note

   In versions 17.9 or earlier, you'll use the Manage Extensions dialog to manage updates to the GitHub Copilot extension.

Manage your Copilot state

With Visual Studio 2022 version 17.10 or later, there's a Copilot status icon in the upper-right corner of the Visual Studio environment that indicates if Copilot is active, inactive, unavailable, or not installed. Using the dropdown menu from the status icon, you can easily access options that help manage or troubleshoot your Copilot state. Some options are available or greyed out depending on your Copilot state.

Copilot is active

Copilot is in an active state and fully functional if you signed into Visual Studio using a GitHub account with Copilot access. Using the dropdown menu, you can easily open the Chat window, access Copilot settings, and manage Copilot subscription.

Copilot is inactive

If Copilot is installed but in an inactive state, it may be because:

• You're not yet signed into Visual Studio with a GitHub account

  Select Sign in to use Copilot in the dropdown from the status icon and sign in with a GitHub account that has an active subscription to use Copilot.

  Or

  Select Open Chat Window and then select Sign up for Copilot Free to sign up for Copilot Free or Sign in if you already have a Copilot enabled account.

  When you're signed in, the Copilot status icon updates to active.

  

• Your signed in GitHub account doesn't have an active Copilot subscription

  Sign in with a GitHub account with an active Copilot subscription, or select Get Copilot for Free from the status icon dropdown to sign up for Copilot Free.

  

• Your active GitHub account doesn't have a Copilot subscrition

  If you added multiple GitHub accounts in Visual Studio, ensure the active account is the one with the active Copilot subscription.

  

If Copilot is inactive as the signed in GitHub account credentials need to be refreshed, select Refresh your GitHub credentials from the dropdown to refresh your GitHub account and sign in again.

If Copilot is disabled by your administrator, contact your IT administrator to learn more.

Copilot is unavailable

If Copilot is installed but unavailable for use, it may be due to network connectivity issues, server-side technical problems, or an expired service plan. In this state, Copilot doesn't provide its usual services until the external issues are resolved.

Select Copilot is unreachable in the dropdown menu to open the Troubleshooting page on diagnosing and resolving common network errors with GitHub Copilot. When the issue is resolved and you're signed in with an active subscription, the Copilot status icon updates to active.

Copilot not installed

If you chose to opt out of the default recommended install by unchecking the GitHub Copilot component in the installer, the status icon is still available in the IDE.

Select Install Copilot from the dropdown to install Copilot. If you choose to not install Copilot, you can select Hide Copilot from the dropdown to hide the Copilot status icon from the IDE.

Disable Copilot

Hide Copilot badge

You can hide the GitHub Copilot badge in the Visual Studio IDE by unselecting Tools > Options > Environment > Hide Copilot menu badge.

Uninstall Copilot

You can remove the GitHub Copilot component from your Visual Studio instance by using the Visual Studio Installer.

1. Launch the Visual Studio Installer by selecting Tools > Get Tools and Features.
2. Select Individual components.
3. Type "copilot" in the search box.
4. Uncheck GitHub Copilot and select Modify.
5. Restart Visual Studio, and select Hide Copilot from the Copilot status icon dropdown to hide the badge.

Support

Support for GitHub Copilot Chat will be provided by GitHub and can be reached at https://support.github.com.

Next steps

To learn more, consider exploring the following resources:

• Get started with GitHub Copilot Completions in Visual Studio
• Get started with GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio