GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Universe releases
By Steven Van ·
Cloud agent sessions can now move between VS Code, GitHub Mobile, github.com and Copilot CLI, and agents can run on a separate machine.
Copilot cloud agent sessions started in GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code can now be continued across several Copilot clients. The Universe release round-up groups these changes under more choice in which models you use, where agents run, and how you stay involved.
Cloud sessions across clients
A cloud agent session can be started from the Agents window in VS Code. The work runs on GitHub's infrastructure, so closing a laptop does not stop it. The same session can be found and continued in VS Code, the GitHub Copilot app, GitHub Mobile, github.com, or Copilot CLI. Sessions started in a Slack or Microsoft Teams DM can also be continued in these clients.
Agents on your own machines
- The new Agent Host isolates Copilot sessions from individual VS Code windows, so work continues in the background after the project folder or window is closed.
- Agents can run on a separate machine while the primary development machine is used for other work. This builds on VS Code's Remote SSH and dev tunnels. The remote agent uses the same code, tools and dependencies, and can keep running when you disconnect or quit VS Code locally. The remote machine and its Agent Host must stay running.
- The editor and the Agents window stay in sync with the same live Copilot session, so you can switch between them without starting over.
Controlling a machine from a phone
GitHub Mobile can check progress, give direction, or start a new task on a development machine. The phone provides the controls and the agent does the work on that machine. To set it up, open a terminal on the machine and run code agent host --github-environment from the project folder. The machine and its Agent Host must keep running while it is used from the phone.
Computer use
The linked documentation covers computer use, which is in public preview. Copilot can read accessible application content, click controls, enter text, press keys, scroll and drag across desktop applications. It is available in Copilot CLI and the GitHub Copilot app on macOS and Windows, and it is disabled by default. It follows the tool permission settings of the surface where the session runs, and enterprise administrators can disable it through managed settings. The docs advise using a more direct tool, such as an API, MCP server or terminal command, when one can do the task.
