github copilot not working: 7 Fast Fixes That Work (2026)

You're mid-coding when GitHub Copilot stops offering suggestions. The autocomplete that usually flows like a second brain has gone completely silent. This is one of the most common frustrations developers face when their AI coding assistant suddenly stops functioning, and it usually happens at the worst possible moment — right before a deadline.

GitHub Copilot not working can stem from several sources: authentication problems, browser extension conflicts, network restrictions, or subscription status issues. The good news is that most of these problems resolve within minutes once you know where to look. This guide walks you through every proven method to get Copilot responsive again, from the fastest workarounds to deeper technical fixes for API integration scenarios.

What Causes GitHub Copilot Not Working

• Authentication and session expiry — GitHub Copilot requires an active connection to your GitHub account. If your session has expired or been invalidated by a password change, the extension loses access even though it appears installed and enabled. This is the root cause behind roughly half of reported Copilot failures in the VS Code environment.
• Subscription or billing problems — Copilot requires either a paid individual subscription or access through an organization plan. If your payment method has failed or your trial period ended, suggestions stop even if the extension shows no error indicators. Users often don't realize this until they notice suggestions have been absent for hours.
• Extension conflicts and interference — Other VS Code extensions that modify editor behavior or intercept keystrokes can block Copilot's suggestion pipeline. Extensions focused on code formatting, linting, or AI completion from competing services most frequently cause conflicts.
• Network restrictions and proxy settings — Corporate networks, VPNs, and certain firewall configurations can block the API calls Copilot makes to generate suggestions. The service needs outbound access to specific GitHub endpoints that sometimes get caught in security filtering.

Quick Fix - Try This First (30 Seconds)

Before diving into complex troubleshooting, start here. This takes about thirty seconds and resolves the majority of Copilot outages:

1. Click the GitHub Copilot icon in your VS Code status bar (bottom right corner)
2. Select "Sign Out" from the dropdown menu
3. Click "Sign In" and complete the authentication flow in your browser

If Copilot still doesn't respond after re-authenticating, restart VS Code completely and test with a new file. This refreshes the extension's connection state and clears temporary glitches that a simple reload sometimes misses.

Complete Step-by-Step Fix Guide

When the quick fix doesn't resolve the issue, work through these steps in order. Each builds on the previous one, narrowing down potential causes systematically.

1. Verify your subscription status — Visit github.com/settings/copilot in your browser. Check that you have an active Copilot subscription with a valid payment method. If you see "Trial expired" or "Payment failed," renew your subscription or update your billing information before anything else will work.
2. Check GitHub's status page — Before troubleshooting locally, confirm Copilot services aren't experiencing an outage. Visit githubstatus.com and look for any active incidents affecting Copilot. Widespread outages happen periodically and no local fix will help if the service itself is down.
3. Reload the VS Code extension — Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P), type "Developer: Reload Window," and press Enter. This clears extension memory caches without requiring a full application restart. Test Copilot again after the window reloads.
4. Check extension compatibility — Open VS Code Settings, go to Extensions, and review any recently installed extensions. Disable them temporarily, especially code formatters like Prettier, ESLint plugins, or competing AI assistants. Restart VS Code after disabling extensions to test.
5. Verify network connectivity to Copilot endpoints — Copilot needs to reach api.github.com and copilot.github.com. Test this by opening those URLs in your browser. If they load, the connection exists. If they don't load or timeout, check your VPN settings, firewall rules, or proxy configuration.
6. Review IDE telemetry and logs — Open VS Code's Output panel (View > Output), select "GitHub Copilot" from the dropdown, and examine the logs for specific error messages. These logs often reveal whether the issue is authentication, network, or subscription-related with much more detail than the extension UI shows.
7. Reinstall the extension as a last resort — If nothing else works, uninstall GitHub Copilot completely, restart your IDE, and install it fresh from the marketplace. This ensures no corrupted extension files remain and starts you with a clean configuration state.

Advanced Fixes

For users integrating Copilot programmatically or experiencing persistent issues, these technical approaches address deeper problems:

Clear authentication tokens manually — VS Code stores credentials in your system's keychain. On macOS, search for "GitHub Copilot" in Keychain Access and delete any stored entries. On Windows, use Credential Manager to remove github.com credentials. After deletion, restart VS Code and authenticate fresh.

Configure proxy settings for Copilot — If you're behind an enterprise proxy, add these settings to your VS Code settings.json:

Check organizational policies — Organization administrators can disable Copilot for security or compliance reasons. If you access Copilot through a work subscription, your admin may have revoked access recently. Contact your GitHub organization administrator to verify your seat assignment.

Still Not Working? Try These Instead

If you've exhausted all troubleshooting options and GitHub Copilot remains unresponsive, consider these alternatives that offer similar AI-powered code completion:

AFFILIATE_PLACEHOLDER_1 — This competitive AI coding assistant integrates directly into popular IDEs and offers real-time code suggestions with support for over fifty programming languages. Many developers switched after Copilot's subscription changes.

AFFILIATE_PLACEHOLDER_2 — An open-source alternative that runs locally on your machine, giving you full control over your code without sending it to external servers. Particularly valuable for developers with strict data privacy requirements.

AFFILIATE_PLACEHOLDER_3 — Offers a free tier with generous usage limits, making it accessible for hobbyists and students while still providing competitive completion quality for professional development work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GitHub Copilot having issues right now?
Check the GitHub Status page at githubstatus.com to see if there are any active incidents affecting Copilot services. If the status shows all systems operational, the problem is likely local to your environment.

Is GitHub currently experiencing issues?
GitHub services occasionally experience outages that affect Copilot functionality. When this happens, the issue resolves automatically once GitHub engineers restore service. Subscribe to GitHub's status page for real-time notifications.

Is GitHub Copilot stopped?
GitHub Copilot has not been discontinued. If your installation stopped working, it typically indicates an authentication problem, subscription issue, or extension conflict rather than a service shutdown.

What is the GitHub Copilot controversy?
Some developers raised concerns about Copilot's training data and potential copyright implications. GitHub has addressed these concerns by improving attribution features and providing clearer terms of service for commercial use.

Why did Copilot stop working without explanation?
The most common reason is a lapsed session or subscription. Copilot requires continuous authentication and an active subscription. Check your GitHub account settings to confirm both are current before investigating other causes.