VS Code v1.116–v1.119 add Copilot semantic search, BYOK and terminal agent access

Visual Studio Code's weekly stable cadence included releases v1.116 — v1.119 shipped throughout April and early May 2026 that focus on Copilot improvements across search, agent behavior, and team controls.

Visual Studio Code moved to weekly stable releases, and the changelog for v1.116 through v1.119 (shipped throughout April and early May 2026) bundles a set of Copilot — focused upgrades. The set centers on semantic code discovery, tighter agent integration inside chat and terminals, experimental local session history, and features intended to improve long-running and remote workflows.

Semantic indexing was expanded so Copilot agents can search by meaning across any workspace, and a new githubTextSearch tool runs grep-style queries across GitHub repositories and organizations. An experimental /chronicle feature records chat interactions in a local database so users can query past sessions and recall files and PRs; the related setting is github.copilot.chat.localIndex.enabled. On the backend, the updates introduce smarter prompt caching, deferred tool loading, and purpose — built agentic tools aimed at reducing token usage without changing agent behavior.

Agent interaction in chat gained several practical upgrades: inline diffs now appear directly in chat threads, and developers can draft custom agents, skills, and instructions from natural — language descriptions. Agents can read from and write to any existing foreground terminal, including running REPLs and interactive scripts, and an Integrated Browser allows agents to access shared tabs on demand to read content, interact with pages, and validate changes in real time.

Bring — your-own-key (BYOK) support was extended to Copilot Business and Enterprise so teams can connect external model providers directly in VS Code chat. Explicitly listed providers include OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI, and local runtimes such as Ollama and Foundry Local are supported. Administrators can control model access using the Bring Your Own Language Model Key policy on GitHub.com; the release notes also state that BYOK is available for Copilot Free, Pro, and Pro users.

Chat continuity and observability were targeted for longer — running workflows. Copilot CLI sessions can be monitored and steered remotely from GitHub.com or the mobile app by enabling github.copilot.chat.cli.remote.enabled and running /remote. The Agent Debug Log panel now persists logs locally so developers can retrace agent runs, and long-running background terminal commands surface status notifications within chat. User-experience tweaks include incremental chat rendering, sortable agent sessions, and synced session titles for Copilot CLI.

For builders and teams these changes come with concrete trade — offs: semantic indexing and githubTextSearch broaden discovery across private and organization codebases, while the local /chronicle index improves recall and reproducibility of past interactions. Token — reduction techniques can lower API cost and latency for agent — driven flows, and BYOK plus admin policies give teams clearer control over model placement and compliance. Persistent debug logs and remote steering make it easier to run and diagnose long-running CLI-style automation from multiple devices.