Is GitHub Copilot Not Working? Here's Why & How to Fix It

If GitHub Copilot is not working today, you must understand that GitHub is experiencing outage at this point. In case, you are new to this, GitHub Copilot is Microsoft’s coding assistant that can be integrated into different platforms. Worry not, in this guide, we will show you how to solve this problem for good and get the tool working again.

Why is my GitHub Copilot not working?

Below are some of the factors that can cause the GitHub Copilot tool not to work on your IDE:

• Outdated IDE: One of the major reasons for this issue is an outdated IDE version. You need to update the app to the latest version to solve the problem.
• Issues with VS Code: Some users have found this problem to be down to problems with the VS Code app. You need to uninstall the app and reinstall it from official sources.

How can I fix GitHub Copilot if it’s not working?

Before proceeding to the fixes in this section, below are some of the basic troubleshooting steps you need to try:

• Reload VS Code.
• Re-sign into your GitHub account in VS Code.

If these do not work, you can now delve into the solutions below:

1. Update your IDE

1. Launch the VS Code app.
2. Click the Help tab at the top.
3. Finally, select Check for updates and install all available updates.
   

If GitHub Copilot is not working, it might be because your IDE is outdated. While platforms like VS Code install updates automatically when they are available, you can sometimes miss out on them.

Hence, it is good practice to manually search for and install updates once in a while.

2. Use a previous version of GitHub Copilot

1. Launch VS Code and click the Extension tab at the top.
2. Search for GitHub Copilot and click on it.
   
3. Now, click the Uninstall dropdown and select Install Another Version.
   
4. Choose a version older than your current one and wait for the installation process to complete.
5. Finally, reload your VS Code.

Some users have reported that only the latest versions of GitHub Copilot are not working on their PCs. So, switching to an older version effectively solved the problem for them.

3. Change VS Code setting

1. Launch VS Code and click the bell icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Select Agree when prompted.
   
3. Finally, reload VS Code and check if the issue persists.

In some cases, GitHub Copilot might not be working because you did not agree to the necessary notification settings during setup. Following the steps above should help you correct that and get the suggestions working.

4. Uninstall VS Code and clear its data

1. Press the Windows key + R, type control panel, and click the OK button.
   
2. Choose Uninstall a program under the Programs option.
   
3. Now, right-click VS Code and select the Uninstall option.
   
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the removal process.
5. Next, press the Windows key + R, %APPDATA%\Code, and click OK.
6. Delete the Code folder.
7. Now, press the Windows key + R again, type %USERPROFILE%\.vscode, and click OK.
8. Delete the .vscode folder.
9. Finally, go to the official website to download VS Code again.

5. Check your VPN, proxy, firewall, or network

Copilot needs to communicate with GitHub’s servers. A corporate proxy, VPN, firewall, DNS filter, or restricted network can interfere with that connection.

• Disconnect from your VPN temporarily.
• If you’re on a work or school network, try another connection.
• Test Copilot using a mobile hotspot.
• Restart your router if the problem appears to affect multiple devices.
• If Copilot works on another network, your original network configuration may be blocking the connection.

Don’t change firewall settings blindly on a managed work computer. Your organization’s network administrator may need to allow the required GitHub connections.

6. Check your Copilot subscription and account

If Copilot reports an authorization or subscription error rather than simply failing to generate suggestions, check the GitHub account associated with the extension.

• Sign in to GitHub in your browser.
• Confirm that you’re using the account that has Copilot access.
• Check whether your Copilot plan or organizational access is still active.
• If Copilot is provided through an employer or school, check whether the organization has changed your access.
• Sign back into the same account inside your IDE.

This matters when Copilot works on one GitHub account but not another.

7. Reinstall the GitHub Copilot extension

If Copilot remains broken while GitHub’s services are operating normally, reinstalling the extension can clear a damaged installation.

• Open your IDE’s extension manager.
• Find GitHub Copilot.
• Uninstall the extension.
• Restart the IDE.
• Install the latest Copilot extension again.
• Sign back into GitHub when prompted.
• Open a code file and test inline suggestions.

8. Wait for GitHub to resolve the outage

If all of your local settings look correct and GitHub is reporting an active Copilot incident, there may be nothing wrong with your PC. At that point, repeatedly reinstalling Copilot, changing passwords, or resetting your IDE is unlikely to help. Keep an eye on GitHub’s status updates and test Copilot again after the incident is marked resolved.

We have reached the end of this detailed guide on how to fix GitHub Copilot X if it’s not working. While the issue can be pretty frustrating, you should be able to fix it for good with the solutions above.

If you want to know how to host files on GitHub, check our detailed guide to fix it quickly. In case issues with Copilot still persist, you can give Blackbox AI a try, it might be even faster and better. As for Copilot, we have a new guide on Something went wrong error in Copilot, so you might want to check it out.

Our latest guide has all the information on what to do if Microsoft Copilot is not working, so you might want to check it out.

FAQs related to GitHub Copilot not working

1. Is GitHub Copilot down right now?

It can be, especially during a GitHub service incident. On August 17, 2026, GitHub is reporting an active disruption affecting Copilot, so users may experience missing suggestions, Copilot Chat failures, or connection errors even when their local setup is fine.

2. Why is GitHub Copilot not showing suggestions?

Copilot may stop showing suggestions because of a service outage, expired GitHub authentication, a disabled extension, network restrictions, or an outdated Copilot/IDE installation. First check GitHub Status, then restart your editor and verify that Copilot is enabled and signed in.

3. Why is GitHub Copilot Chat not working?

Copilot Chat depends on both the Copilot extension and GitHub’s backend services. If Chat keeps loading, returns an error, or produces no response, check for a GitHub outage before reinstalling the extension or changing your configuration.

4. Will reinstalling GitHub Copilot delete my code?

No. Reinstalling the Copilot extension does not delete your source-code files or Git repositories. It only removes and reinstalls the extension, although you may need to sign into your GitHub account again afterward.

5. Why does GitHub Copilot work on one network but not another?

A VPN, proxy, firewall, DNS filter, or corporate network may interfere with Copilot’s connection to GitHub. Try switching temporarily to another network, such as a mobile hotspot, to determine whether the problem is network-specific.

6. What should I do if GitHub Copilot is still not working?

If GitHub reports that its services are operational, update your IDE and Copilot extension, sign out and back into GitHub, check your Copilot access, and reinstall the extension if necessary. If the problem continues, check the Copilot logs or contact GitHub Support because the issue may require account-level or server-side investigation.

Feel free to let us know the solution that helped you fix this issue in the comments below.