GitHub Updates Copilot in VS Code With Persistent Cloud Agent Sessions
GitHub updated Copilot for VS Code to support persistent cloud sessions that sync across devices and allow agents to run independently of the local editor.
GitHub updated Copilot in Visual Studio Code on October 28 with persistent agent sessions that run on GitHub infrastructure so work continues after a laptop closes. You can start a cloud session in the VS Code Agents window and resume it in GitHub Mobile, github.com, Copilot CLI, or the GitHub Copilot app, while the editor and Agents window stay synchronized.
A new Agent Host separates locally hosted sessions from individual VS Code windows so closing a project folder does not end the work. Agents can run on a separate machine via Remote SSH or dev tunnels if the remote machine and its Agent Host stay running. You can control agents on a development machine using GitHub Mobile after running code agent host --github-environment from the project folder.
The Copilot harness, built on the Microsoft Copilot SDK, is now default for new sessions. A preview feature lets you run models and harnesses in parallel, compare results side by side, ask a Judge model to recommend a solution, and use Synthesize to combine ideas.
Experimental computer use on macOS and Windows lets Copilot read and interact with desktop applications by enabling chat.agentHost.computerUse.enabled, restarting VS Code, and running /computer on. The open Agent Host Protocol supports clients sharing live sessions with VS Code, providing libraries for TypeScript, Rust, Go, Kotlin, and Swift.
The Customization Marketplace brings skills, MCP servers, and plugins into one interface, and preview connectors let agents access Notion and Microsoft Learn context. Administrators can require or block plugins, restrict installation sources, and control repository settings via .github/copilot/settings.json.