GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Receives August Update
GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio has received an August 2026 update, introducing several new capabilities for developers. Key enhancements include organization-level custom agents, detailed Copilot usage access with refined notifications, and granular control over model thinking effort. Users can now also manage and pin preferred models, and leverage a new Git agent to review uncommitted changes and commits before pull requests. These updates provide greater control and insight for all Copilot plan users within Visual Studio.
- →View detailed GitHub Copilot plan usage and notifications
- →Control Copilot model thinking effort for varied tasks
- →Enhanced management and control over Copilot models
- →GitHub Copilot Git agent for reviewing code changes
Features (4) ›
- View detailed GitHub Copilot plan usage and notifications
Users can now access full plan details and usage from the Copilot prompt box, along with refined notifications that clarify when usage limits are approached and available options.
- Control Copilot model thinking effort for varied tasks
Supported models offer Low, Medium, and High thinking effort controls, allowing users to balance reasoning depth with token usage. This helps optimize performance for tasks ranging from straightforward coding to complex debugging or architecture decisions.
- Enhanced management and control over Copilot models
Users can pin favorite models, collapse less-used ones, and access a detailed management view. This view provides information on model capabilities, context window sizes, cost, and controls for both Copilot and custom models.
- GitHub Copilot Git agent for reviewing code changes
The Git agent can now review uncommitted changes or commits before pull requests, displaying findings inline in the editor and in the Git Changes list. Users can continue the chat to address suggestions for GitHub and Azure DevOps repositories.
https://github.blog/changelog/2026-08-28-github-copilot-in-visual-studio-august-update-2
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