GitHub Copilot CLI v1.0.81 Changelog

This update is all about making the GitHub Copilot command-line tool smarter, more customizable, and easier to recover when things go wrong. It matters a lot to developers who use the terminal heavily to code with AI, especially if they rely on custom tools, manage large projects, or use workplace computers with strict security rules.

What's new

• New Plugins Dashboard: You can now run /plugin, /mcp, or /skills to open a central screen for managing your add-ons, tools, and skills.
• More AI Models: Added support for newer AI models like Gemini 3.7 Flash and Grok 4.6. There is also a new "xhigh" reasoning setting for Grok to make it think harder on complex problems.
• Auto Mode: The AI can now automatically switch between different models as your task changes during a conversation, giving you the best tool for the job without making you pick manually.
• Crash Recovery: If the app crashes or your computer restarts, it will now offer to restore the exact session you were working on, so you don't have to reopen everything by hand.
• Voice Dictation: You can now press Ctrl+Space to turn voice typing on and off.
• Quick App Launch: Added a copilot app command to instantly open the GitHub Copilot app for the folder you are currently in.
• Custom Permissions: New settings let you choose exactly how the tool starts up and how it asks for permission before running commands.
• Plugin Updates: The /plugin screen now tells you if an installed add-on has a newer version available and lets you update it with a click.
• Track Usage: You can now see exactly how much each specific AI agent is being used in your usage reports.
• Telemetry Upgrades: "Hooks" (custom background scripts) can now receive tracking data to help you trace exactly how long a task takes.
• Windows Security Login: On Windows, connecting to secure remote servers using Microsoft Entra ID is now seamless and usually doesn't even require you to type a password.

Improvements

• Faster Session Recovery: When you resume a large, long-running chat, it now shows your recent messages instantly while loading the older ones in the background.
• Smarter Tool Finding: On Mac and Linux, the tool now finds the exact same background programs (like project environments) that your normal terminal uses, so commands run more smoothly.
• Better Background Windows: Pop-up "Canvas" windows now refresh quietly in the background instead of stealing your mouse and keyboard focus away from the terminal.
• Cleaner Autopilot View: The panel that tracks your long-term AI goals is now more compact, showing exact to-do counts instead of a progress bar and shrinking down nicely on small screens.
• Simpler Deletion: The x key is now the standard delete button across all menus, replacing the old d key.
• Live Plugin Editing: If you are building your own local add-on, you can now edit its files and just restart the session to see the changes, instead of having to run a full update command.
• Clearer Security Warnings: If your computer's security policy forces the tool to run in a restricted "sandbox" mode, the screen now clearly says so, rather than leaving you guessing why your commands are limited.

Fixes

• Startup Freezes: Fixed an issue where the app would hang forever on a "Loading..." screen if an add-on tried to reload at the exact same time the app was starting up.
• Crash on Resume: Fixed a bug where repeatedly trying to resume the same saved session would crash the app.
• Stuck Pending Messages: Fixed a glitch where sending a prompt while the AI was still working would leave a duplicate, stuck "(pending)" message at the bottom of the screen.
• Broken Shell Shortcut: Fixed an issue where typing $ and hitting Enter to open the shell would just erase your text and do nothing.
• Dropped Keystrokes: Fixed a problem where keys typed into an unfocused terminal pane (like when using a window manager like tmux) were being completely ignored.
• MCP Server Hang: Fixed an issue where a tool server blocked by your workplace's security rules would just spin endlessly on a "pending" screen instead of telling you it was blocked.
• Messy Error Labels: Fixed a visual bug where a failed tool command would stack its error label one letter per line down the screen; the label and error now share a single, neat row.
• Vim Mode Badge: Fixed the Vim mode indicator so it stays visible next to the activity spinner while the AI is thinking.
• Stale Security Settings: Fixed an issue where logging out and back into an account would accidentally use old, cached security rules instead of fetching the newest ones.
• First-Run Builds: Fixed an issue on Windows where building code in a restricted sandbox would fail on the first try because it couldn't create the temporary files it needed.

Breaking changes

• Old Plugin Menu Removed: The old /plugins command is gone. Its features were moved into the new /plugin, /mcp, and /skills menus.
• Forced Dashboard: You can no longer turn off the new plugins dashboard. The old skills picker is completely gone, and /skills will always open the new dashboard.
• Missing Toggles: Because the old /plugins menu was removed, you temporarily cannot turn custom background hooks or language servers (LSPs) on or off from the dashboard.