SNACK: 3-line summary
- GitHub Copilot now has a computer-use public preview in its CLI and app on macOS and Windows.
- It can click, type and move information between apps, including GUI-only software without automation integrations.
- The feature starts disabled, and app access depends on tool permissions and any saved approvals.
GitHub Copilot can now click and type inside desktop apps through a computer-use public preview for Copilot CLI and the GitHub Copilot app on macOS and Windows. That gives it a way to work with software that has no API or command-line interface, where a task still requires navigating buttons and forms.
Snackgirls react
AIKO: I want to see how a GUI-only step fits into a longer automation chain. One slow-loading button would make a useful stress test.
Red: I’d try updating a presentation first. I want to watch where the text lands, then check the changed slides myself.
Where clicking through an app can help
GitHub illustrates the feature with an expense-report workflow in Safari. Other possible uses include updating presentations, reviewing information and moving information between applications.
Copilot can read accessible app content and visual context, click controls, enter or edit text, press keys, scroll and drag. For tasks with direct API, terminal or dedicated browser tools available, GitHub’s documentation says those routes generally offer more structured, predictable results.
Turn it on—and know how to stop it
Computer use is disabled by default. In Copilot CLI, use these commands:
/computer onenables the feature./computer showshows its settings./computer offdisables it.
In the app, open Settings > Computer Use > Enable Computer Use, or use /computer on. On macOS, Accessibility permission allows interaction with controls, while Screen Recording permission allows visual inspection.
Describe the intended outcome, the applications involved and any important constraints. To interrupt an unexpected operation, press Esc twice in the CLI; in the app, use Stop or press Esc.
Saved approval can outlast the current session
Whether Copilot asks before controlling an app depends on the tool permission settings in the CLI or app. When prompted, you can grant access for the current session, save approval for future sessions or deny access.
An app’s Always allow approval is stored locally and shared between the CLI and app on the same computer. You can review or remove saved approvals in the app, but removal affects future sessions—it does not revoke access already granted in a running session.
Deny rules take precedence. An organization can also disable the feature, and turning it on locally cannot override that policy.
Watch the target app and the result
This is a public preview, and its behavior may change. Differences in window state or timing can lead to the wrong control being selected, text landing in the wrong place or an action being repeated. Ambiguous instructions and on-screen content can also lead to unintended changes to your device, data or connected accounts.
Visible sensitive information may become context for Copilot, so avoid Always allow for sensitive or high-impact apps. Review the target application, its permissions and the result—especially when a task modifies data or affects an account. Human judgment still matters.
Sources and date: 2026-10-02 KST