GitHub Copilot in VS Code v1.141

GitHub Copilot in VS Code v1.141 was released on .

Summary

Agent loop Copilot harness The Copilot harness adds exciting new agent functionality to VS Code. It's powered by the Copilot SDK, so its behavior and capabilities are consistent with other Copilot...

Release Context

  • This was the 11th GitHub Copilot in VS Code release of 2026 tracked by Havoptic.
  • It shipped 7 days after GitHub Copilot in VS Code v1.140 (September 30, 2026).

Shipped around the same time

Within 3 days of this release, other AI coding tools also shipped:

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Release Notes

Agent loop Copilot harness The Copilot harness adds exciting new agent functionality to VS Code. It's powered by the Copilot SDK, so its behavior and capabilities are consistent with other Copilot products, including the standalone GitHub Copilot app and the Copilot CLI. To start using the Copilot harness, select it from the harness picker in the chat input. In this release, it might already be the default selection for you. You can continue working as you normally do. The harness runs in a dedicated agent host process based on th... Reclaim storage from inactive worktrees Run Chat: Open Worktree Cleanup to see how much disk space inactive agent session worktrees use and remove the ones you no longer need. Filter sessions by how long they have been inactive, review each worktree's size, and select the worktrees to clean up. The cleanup editor also lets you configure automatic cleanup for sessions with merged pull requests and control whether VS Code suggests cleanup when session storage grows large. When setting(chat.agentSessions.sessionStorageCleanupSuggestion.enabled) is enabled, the Agents window notifi... Keep track of background shells When the agent runs a command in the background, it keeps working on other steps while the command runs. In Copilot harness sessions, a Background Shells pill above the chat input lists the shells that are still running, in both the Agents window and the editor window. Select the pill to see each shell's command and how long it has been running, and select a shell to watch its output stream as the command runs, if output is available. A shell leaves the list when its command finishes. More control for agent-triggered messages When agents delegate work across conversations, they can adjust the delegated task as requirements change instead of waiting for the other session to finish. The sendmessage tool supports these actions between sessions and nested sessions on the same agent host: Steer an active conversation with a correction. Queue a follow-up as a separate turn. Replace a queued message while preserving its place in the queue. Cancel a queued message before processing begins. Queued messages run in order. After a message starts processing, it can... Agent UX Arrange sessions in a grid Compare results, monitor long-running tasks, or work across related conversations without repeatedly switching between sessions. Like in the editor window, the two-dimensional session grid in the Agents window lets you drag sessions into horizontal or vertical splits and resize the panes. Maximize a session when you need to focus, then return to the grid to continue working across conversations. Compact layout density Setting: setting(window.density.layout) Fit more content in the Agents window with the Compact layout density. Compact density uses a shorter title bar, removes the gaps between workbench parts, and reduces pane spacing. By default, the Agents window follows the user-level setting(window.density.layout) setting, which also applies to editor windows. To set a different density for the Agents window only, open it and choose View > Layout Density. The density of editor windows remains unchanged. Additional session-filtering options Focus your sessions list on the work you care about. Open Filter Sessions to filter independently by: Environment: Where the session runs, such as locally, in the cloud, or on a remote host. Harness: Which agent harness the session uses. Created In: Which application created the session, such as VS Code, Copilot CLI, or the Copilot app. The menu also brings together ordering, grouping, Show Done, and Created Externally controls. Track activity across nested sessions Nested sessions let you split related work across separate conversations. In the Agents window, each nested session shows its unread status and last-modified time, helping you find recent activity and conversations that need your attention without opening them individually. Status is tracked independently for each conversation: Opening a nested session marks only that conversation as read. An unread nested session does not make the main se... Simplified new-session controls (Experimental) Settings: setting(sessions.chat.experimental.newSessionComposerLayout), setting(sessions.chat.unifiedWorkspacePicker.enabled) (Agents window only) The experimental new-session composer keeps your prompt at the center while making session choices easier to review. Workspace, repository, and harness controls now appear in a collapsible Session Options tray above the chat input. Getting-started tips now appear in a rounded notice below the chat input, so they no longer separate the session controls from your prompt. Collapse th... Improved context picker positioning The Add Context picker now opens next to the button that invoked it and closes when you select the button again. This keeps the picker visually connected to the chat input in the editor and Agents windows. Move agent picker in context control (Experimental) Setting: setting(sessions.chat.experimental.agentsPickerInAttachContextMenu) (Agents window only) If you prefer to have the Agent picker initially hidden from the chat input to reduce the number of controls, you can configure this setting to move it into the Add Context menu. After you select an agent, the picker returns to the chat input. Customize new-session welcome messages (Experimental) Settings: setting(sessions.chat.experimental.welcomePhrases), setting(sessions.chat.experimental.welcomeMessages) (Agents window only) New-session welcome messages add personality to the Agents window. In this release, you can add your own phrases to the defaults or replace the default phrases. Use the {name} placeholder to position your welcome name anywhere in a phrase. Select Customize Welcome Message beside the heading to change your name or open the phrase setting. You can also right-click the heading and select... Agent environments Continue local external Copilot sessions without reloading New conversations from the Copilot CLI and GitHub Copilot app are now picked up automatically as external sessions as soon as you send the first request, even when the Agents window is already open. You can open and continue these conversations directly from the Agents window. Use the Created In and Created Externally filters to choose which conversations appear in the sessions list. Codex chat handoff between apps Pick up a Codex chat started in the ChatGPT app or Codex CLI and continue it in VS Code's Agents window on the same machine, with your conversation history intact. You can switch back to the ChatGPT app or Codex CLI later and continue the same chat. To use your GitHub Copilot subscription in VS Code, choose a Copilot model in the model picker. For example, you can keep working with Copilot after reaching your ChatGPT usage limit. With Codex enabled and Created Externally session... Download remote files from the editor Save an open remote file locally, without having to navigate for it in the Files panel. In the Agents window, open the editor's More Actions menu and select Download... to download the file to a local destination. Dev Container samples (Experimental) Setting: setting(chat.agentHost.devContainer.samples.enabled) (Agents window only) Try an agent with a ready-to-use development environment without first cloning a repository or installing its language tools locally. The Agents window now offers Dev Container samples for Go, .NET, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Rust. Install and start Docker, and then enable the setting. Open a new session in the desktop Agents window, select Dev Container Sample from the workspace pi... Agent security Sandboxing in the Copilot agent host Settings: setting(chat.agent.sandbox.enabled) Sandboxing gives you more control over what Copilot can access while working on a task. It limits how supported agent operations access files and network resources, and helps to reduce the impact of model mistakes, prompt injection, untrusted dependencies, and locally launched tool servers. Depending on the operation and platform, these restrictions use operating-system protections or checks within the agent host process. Sandboxing adds a layer of protection, but does not replace endpoint securi... Chat experience Persistent progress in chat Settings: setting(chat.experimental.persistentProgress), setting(chat.experimental.persistentProgressVerbosity) Persistent progress is rolling out to all users. It keeps in-progress responses visible and lets you control how much progress detail appears. Use setting(chat.experimental.persistentProgress) to choose among three icon variants, including a monochrome icon or no icon. Meet Blobby The /vscode-pet has a name: Blobby. Type /vscode-pet in any chat in the editor or Agents window to meet Blobby. Type /blobby to customize Blobby. More customization options become available as you explore chat and unlock achievements. Learn more about Blobby and chat pets. MCP See discovered MCP servers in Customizations editor (Preview) Find MCP servers supplied by plugins, extensions, and built-in integrations alongside your configured servers in the MCP Servers section of the Agent Customizations editor. Servers discovered...

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