It starts the way these things always start.  A red build. A failing test. And that quiet, sinking feeling of “This worked yesterday.”  Meet Sam. Sam’s not a junior, not a rockstar, just a solid developer who’s shipped enough code to know that bugs don’t care how confident you feel on Monday morning.  That test failure does not offer much help […]
The post Debugging, but Without the Drama (A Visual Studio 2026 Story) appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Here on the Visual Studio team, our top priority is making your coding experience smoother and more enjoyable. And that begins with truly listening to your feedback. We understand that sometimes sharing your thoughts can feel like tossing bug reports and suggestions into a black hole. It doesn’t feel good, and we get it. But […]
The post Behind the scenes of the Visual Studio feedback system appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

There are many scenarios where Copilot Chat can feel limited by the built-in model training data. Maybe you want guidance on the latest web framework, documentation, or project-specific resources—but Copilot’s responses just aren’t specific enough. For developers who rely on up-to-date or esoteric answers, this gap can be a real frustration.  URL Context: Bringing the web into Copilot Chat  With the new URL context feature, Copilot Chat can now access […]
The post Unlocking the Power of Web with Copilot Chat’s New URL Context appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Visual Studio 2026 is here! If you haven’t heard the news yet, we’re excited to share with you that Visual Studio 2026 is now generally available! This new version can better assist you with several performance improvements, a redesigned user experience, and a major leap in AI-driven development. Read more about it here and get […]
The post Visual Studio November Update – Visual Studio 2026, Cloud Agent Preview, and more appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

A straight look at what’s behind the keys We’ve all tried unlearning a keyboard shortcut – it feels like forgetting how to breathe. Muscle memory doesn’t mess around. We wrestle with this every time someone suggest a “quick” shortcut change. It’s not just editing a keybinding but navigating a history that makes Visual Studio so […]
The post Why changing keyboard shortcuts in Visual Studio isn’t as simple as it seems appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

In Visual Studio 2026 we introduced Copilot Profiler Agent, a new AI-powered assistant that helps you analyze and optimize performance bottlenecks in your code. By combining the power of GitHub Copilot with Visual Studio’s performance profiler, you can now ask natural language questions about performance, get insights into hot paths, and quickly identify optimization opportunities. […]
The post Profiler Agent – Delegate the analysis, not the performance appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Visual Studio 2026 introduces new GitHub Copilot capabilities to support C++ developers in three development tasks:  Performing large-scale C++ refactors  Improving C++ build performance   Upgrading Microsoft C++ (MSVC) Build Tools  These experiences are available now as a Private Preview in Visual Studio 2026. Install Visual Studio 2026 and join the waitlist for Private Preview today.  C++ code editing tools for GitHub […]
The post Upgrade MSVC, improve C++ build performance, and refactor C++ code with GitHub Copilot appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Visual Studio will adopt the Modern Support Lifecycle as a continuously updated IDE designed to deliver innovation as soon as it is ready, while maintaining the reliability and stability you count on every day with control over your build tools choices.
The post Visual Studio – Built for the Speed of Modern Development appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

In the past, moving to the next major version of Visual Studio could take hours, sometimes days, to recreate your dev environment the way you like it. Visual Studio 2026 makes it easier than ever to stay current with the latest productivity features, performance improvements, and security fixes all without disrupting your flow. With the […]
The post Spend Less Time Upgrading, More Time Coding in Visual Studio 2026 appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Visual Studio 2026 introduces a refreshed user experience, thoughtfully crafted for clarity, accessibility, and a clean interface that feels right at home on Windows. This update is the result of extensive collaboration with developers and incorporates valuable feedback from the community. We’ve improved typography, iconography, and the overall layout to minimize distractions and keep your […]
The post A first look at the all‑new UX in Visual Studio 2026 appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Dear developers, We’re thrilled to announce that Visual Studio 2026 is now generally available! This is a moment we’ve built side by side with you. Your feedback has helped shape this release more than any before. Since the introduction of the Insiders Channel in September, more developers have downloaded and tested this preview than any […]
The post Visual Studio 2026 is here: faster, smarter, and a hit with early adopters appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

We’re thrilled to invite you to one of the most exciting events in the .NET ecosystem: .NET Conf. It runs from November 11th through the 13th and you’re invited! This annual virtual conference is a must-attend for developers, architects, and enthusiasts looking to level up their skills and stay ahead of the curve in .NET […]
The post Join us at .NET Conf: Dive into the future of development with Visual Studio 2026 appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

The October 2025 update for Visual Studio 2022 (v17.14) is now available. In this month, we are bringing you improvements to model choices and agentic flows.  New Models  We now have Claude Sonnet 4.5  and Claude Haiku 4.5 available in the chat window. This means the latest innovations for driving your agentic workflows is right at your fingertips.  Memories  For […]
The post Visual Studio October Update – new models, memories, planning, and more appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

We have great news for extension users and developers: Visual Studio 2026 is introducing an extension compatibility model designed specifically to make your life easier. Our top priority is to ensure that your extensions continue to work seamlessly across Visual Studio releases – with no extra effort required from you. For users: extensions that work […]
The post Modernizing Visual Studio Extension Compatibility: Effortless Migration for Extension Developers and Users appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Before joining Microsoft, I served as VP of Application Development at one of the largest temporary staffing companies in the United States. I’ll never forget the look on our CFO’s face when I told him we needed two to three additional cloud environments to support a large-scale modernization project. His expression went from curious to […]
The post Visual Studio Dev/Test Benefit Explained appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Ever found yourself staring at the Output Window, overwhelmed by endless lines of logs and cryptic messages? You’re not alone! For years, developers have relied on the Output Window for critical build and debug information. But making sense of it—and translating it into action—has been a challenge. What if you could instantly ask questions about your […]
The post Make Sense of Your Output Window with Copilot appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Writing effective prompts for AI tools can be time-consuming and challenging. Cement those efforts by leveraging reusable prompt files. These custom prompts allow for quick access at the prompt box, and they’re automatically stored and shared with your teammates to make it easy to multiply your Copilot successes.   Reusable prompt files solve the prompt-writing challenge  Reusable prompt files let you write, save, and run prompts right […]
The post Boost Your Copilot Collaboration with Reusable Prompt Files appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Copilot code completions and suggestions in the editor speed you up in your daily programming and coding activities, at every keystroke. They help you finish the line you’re typing or anticipate your next edit, making your workflow smoother and faster. At the same time, editor is where you focus and put in the deep work. […]
The post Better Control over Your Copilot Code Suggestions appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Smarter Code Search in Visual Studio: From BM25 to Semantic Search  In our latest 17.14.11 release, we’ve made a significant leap forward in how we explore your code to retrieve meaningful context. Our new Remote Semantic Search integration helps you find exactly what you need faster and with greater precision than ever before.  By embedding […]
The post Improving Codebase Awareness in Visual Studio Chat appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

We’re excited to share that GPT-5, OpenAI’s latest frontier model, is now rolling out in GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio. GPT-5 offers faster responses and even better performance for writing and understanding code. This release brings a new level of capability to your development workflow, making it easier to move from idea to implementation. Try […]
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Support for Visual Studio 2015 will end on October 14, 2025. If you’re using an older version of Visual Studio, we want to keep you productive and secure when using Visual Studio, and strongly recommend you upgrade to Visual Studio 2022, which brings the power of Copilot to your development workflow. It also contains key […]
The post Visual Studio 2015 Retirement: Support reminder for older versions of Visual Studio appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

We’ve been thrilled to see so many of you jump back into your Pluralsight benefit after our April 3rd announcement about extended access. Your enthusiasm for learning and leveling up with Visual Studio inspires us every day. If you haven’t had a chance to dive in yet—or want to explore what’s new since then—I wanted […]
The post Fresh Learning Paths Now Available on Pluralsight for VS Subscribers appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

We’re excited to share some major improvements to the Copilot experience in Visual Studio, including smarter default models, more choices, and easier ways to manage your usage. Smarter default model Copilot in Visual Studio now uses GPT-4.1 as the default model (previously 4o). In our testing, it delivers significantly better performance—faster responses, higher quality suggestions, […]
The post Better Models, Smarter Defaults: Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-4.1, and More Control in Visual Studio appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

A long time ago, I stood in a packed room at VS Live! and watched developers erupt in applause after a debugging demo shaved hours off a real-world problem. That was the moment I realized this wasn’t just a conference—it was a place where developers and toolmakers come together to push the craft forward. I’m […]
The post Inside Access: Join Us at VS Live! Redmond for a Week of Deep Developer Learning appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

Copilot agent mode is the next evolution in AI-assisted development—and it’s now generally available in the Visual Studio June update. Agent mode turns GitHub Copilot into an autonomous pair programmer capable of handling multi-step development tasks from end to end. It builds a plan, executes it, adapts along the way, and loops through tasks until […]
The post Agent mode is now generally available with MCP support appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.

GitHub Copilot code completions, or gray text, are specialized in autocompleting unfinished code or providing helpful template code. In reality, coding activities are more diverse than writing new code. What if Copilot could better assist your coding not only with code generation, but your code editing activities as well? We are excited to announce next […]
The post Next edit suggestions available in Visual Studio appeared first on Visual Studio Blog.