Visual Studio Copilot Chat lets you steer a task while it runs

Changing direction after handing a coding task to AI no longer has to wait for the current response to finish. Microsoft said on November 10 that Copilot Chat in Visual Studio 2026 version 18.12 runs on the Microsoft Copilot SDK developed by GitHub. This is a change to the tools and workflow around the model, rather than another model being added to the picker.

Send a new instruction and inspect what actually ran

The new experience is enabled by default. While Copilot is working, type another instruction and press Enter to send it into the ongoing task. Until Copilot picks it up, the message is marked Pending; select X to withdraw it.

Expand a step to see what a tool actually returned, open its results in the editor, or copy the command Copilot ran. Subagents get separate cards showing their model and live steps. The useful distinction is between an instruction being sent and the work that was actually carried out.

Keep folder scope and security review in perspective

You can choose a working folder from the chat header or attach a whole folder as context. It is worth checking that the folder is needed for the task before doing so. This feature should not be read as automatic access to every file or a guarantee of privacy.

With Agent selected, /security-review reviews changes with a security focus. /rubber-duck has a different model critique the plan before Copilot acts. These are assistance and review tools, not independent certification that the results are safe.

Need plan mode? The previous experience is still an option

Features including plan mode and chat exports are still being brought over. If you rely on them, go to Tools > Options > GitHub > Copilot > Copilot Chat, turn off Use new Copilot chat experience, and restart Visual Studio to return to the previous experience.

Microsoft says its comparison across 157 C# tasks found up to 21 more tasks resolved. That is a company-reported evaluation, not independent verification or a promise for every project. When assessing the update, keep the Visual Studio 2026 version 18.12 scope and the features still being migrated in view.

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