GitHub Copilot CLI is Now Generally Available

GitHub Copilot CLI—a terminal-native AI coding agent—is now generally available for all paid GitHub Copilot subscribers. Since launching in public preview in September 2025, the tool has evolved from a simple terminal assistant into a full agentic development environment capable of planning complex tasks, executing workflows, editing files, running tests, and iterating autonomously.

Agentic Development Capabilities

The core feature set distinguishes Copilot CLI from standard chat interfaces:

• Plan Mode (Shift + Tab): Copilot analyzes requests, asks clarifying questions, and builds a structured implementation plan before executing any code. Users can review and approve plans before execution begins.
• Autopilot Mode: For trusted tasks, Copilot operates fully autonomously—executing tools, running commands, and iterating without approval gates.
• Specialized Agents: The tool automatically delegates to domain-specific agents including Explore (codebase analysis), Task (builds and tests), Code Review (change analysis), and Plan (implementation planning). Multiple agents can run in parallel.
• Background Delegation: Use the & prefix to offload work to GitHub's cloud-based coding agent while keeping your local terminal free. Switch between local and remote sessions with /resume.

Model Selection and Extensibility

Users can choose from the latest models from Anthropic (Claude Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.6, Haiku 4.5), OpenAI (GPT-5.3-Codex, GPT-5 mini, GPT-4.1), and Google (Gemini 3 Pro). Switch models mid-session with /model and configure reasoning effort for extended-thinking models. GPT-5 mini and GPT-4.1 are included with Copilot subscriptions at no additional cost.

Extensibility is built-in through Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, plugins, markdown-based skills, custom agents, and lifecycle hooks (preToolUse and postToolUse). Plugins can be installed directly from GitHub repositories using /plugin install owner/repo.

Session Management and Code Review

New features include /diff for syntax-highlighted inline diffs with line-specific comments, /review for quick sanity checks before committing, and Esc–Esc to rewind file changes. Sessions support auto-compaction when approaching context limits and cross-session repository memory—Copilot remembers codebase conventions and patterns across sessions.

Installation and Platform Support

Copilot CLI runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows via npm, Homebrew, WinGet, shell scripts, and standalone executables. Homebrew, WinGet, and script-based installations auto-update. The tool is included by default in GitHub Codespaces and available as a Dev Container Feature.

The terminal experience includes an experimental full-screen alt-screen mode with mouse support, customizable themes (GitHub Dark, Light, colorblind variants), UNIX keybindings (Ctrl+A/E/W/U/K), editor integration (Ctrl+X/E), and accessibility features including screen reader mode.