Disable Copilot in three steps

GitHub Copilot shows code suggestions as you type in VS Code. If you want to turn it off completely, you can disable it in your settings in under a minute. The fastest way is through the Extensions panel, where you can uninstall Copilot or disable it just for your current workspace.

You have two choices: disable Copilot entirely so it never runs, or disable it only in the current project folder. Most people choose to disable it entirely if they do not want the suggestions at all.

Key Takeaways

  • You can disable Copilot by opening the Extensions panel, finding GitHub Copilot, and clicking the gear icon to disable or uninstall it.
  • Disabling Copilot in your settings stops all suggestions, while uninstalling it removes the extension completely from VS Code.
  • You can also disable Copilot for a single workspace or folder if you only want to turn it off for certain projects.
  • If you disable Copilot by mistake, you can re-enable it the same way or reinstall it from the Extensions marketplace.

Disable Copilot through the Extensions panel

Open VS Code and look for the Extensions icon on the left sidebar — it looks like four squares. Click it to open the Extensions panel.

Type "GitHub Copilot" in the search box at the top of the Extensions panel. The official GitHub Copilot extension will appear at the top of the results. Click on it to open the extension details page.

You will see a gear icon next to the "Disable" or "Uninstall" button. Click the gear icon and select "Disable" to turn off Copilot. The extension will stop running immediately, and you will no longer see code suggestions. If you want to remove it completely, click "Uninstall" instead.

Disable Copilot for one workspace only

If you want to keep Copilot running in other projects but turn it off in just one folder, you can disable it for that workspace alone. Open the folder in VS Code, then open the Extensions panel again.

Find GitHub Copilot in the list, click on it, and look for a button that says "Disable (Workspace)". Click that button instead of the regular "Disable" button. Copilot will stop working only in this folder, but it will still run in other projects you open.

Turn off Copilot suggestions in settings

Another way to disable Copilot is through VS Code settings. Press Ctrl+, on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+, on Mac to open the Settings panel.

Search for "copilot" in the settings search box. You will see several Copilot-related options. Look for "Copilot: Enable" and uncheck the box next to it. This disables Copilot without uninstalling the extension, so you can turn it back on later by checking the box again.

Re-enable Copilot if you change your mind

If you disabled Copilot and want to turn it back on, the process is the same. Open the Extensions panel, find GitHub Copilot, and click the "Enable" button. If you uninstalled it, you can reinstall it by searching for "GitHub Copilot" in the Extensions marketplace and clicking "Install".

If you disabled it in settings, open Settings again, search for "copilot", and check the "Copilot: Enable" box. Copilot will start showing suggestions again the next time you open a file.

What happens when Copilot is disabled

When you disable Copilot, the gray suggestion text that appears as you type will stop showing. You will not see any code completions from Copilot, and the Copilot icon in the bottom right corner of VS Code will show as inactive.

Disabling Copilot does not affect your other extensions or VS Code's built-in code completion. You will still see suggestions from IntelliSense, which is VS Code's standard completion feature. The only difference is that you will no longer see AI-powered suggestions from GitHub Copilot.

Troubleshooting if Copilot will not disable

If you click "Disable" but Copilot suggestions keep appearing, try closing and reopening VS Code. Sometimes the change does not take effect until you restart the application.

If suggestions still appear after restarting, check that you disabled the right extension. Search for "Copilot" in the Extensions panel and make sure you are disabling the official GitHub Copilot extension, not a different extension with a similar name. If you are still having trouble, uninstall Copilot completely and restart VS Code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does disabling Copilot delete my settings or code?

No. Disabling or uninstalling Copilot does not affect your code, projects, or any other VS Code settings. Your files remain exactly as they are. If you re-enable Copilot later, your configuration will be the same as before.

Can I disable Copilot for just one programming language?

VS Code does not have a built-in setting to disable Copilot for specific languages only. You can disable it entirely or for a whole workspace, but not for individual file types. If you want Copilot off for certain languages, disabling it for the whole workspace is the closest option.

Will disabling Copilot speed up VS Code?

Possibly, but the difference is usually small. Copilot runs in the background and uses some system resources, but most users do not notice a significant slowdown. If VS Code feels slow, disabling Copilot may help slightly, but other factors like the number of open files or installed extensions usually have a bigger impact.

What is the difference between disabling and uninstalling Copilot?

Disabling keeps the extension installed but turns it off, so you can turn it back on quickly. Uninstalling removes it completely from VS Code. If you think you might want Copilot again, disable it instead of uninstalling. If you are sure you do not want it, uninstalling frees up a small amount of disk space.