Github Copilot Edit mode gone after latest update?

[audunsolemdal]

• Copilot Chat Extension Version: 0.37.1
• VS Code Version: 1.109
• OS Version: Windows 11
• Feature (e.g. agent/edit/ask mode): Edit

Until recently I used the "edit" mode for my workflows

It seems this option has dissappeared in the latest version of the chat extension. Is there any setting to make it reappear?

[isidorn]

Audun Solemdal (@audunsolemdal) thanks for opening this issue. We are moving away from Edit mode since we believe that Agentic experience is better in every aspect (and our data backs this up).
Though I am curious to hear what is your scenario that you did with Edit that you can not do with Agent?

[jhonkaman]

Isidor Nikolic (@isidorn) For me personally, Edit mode has worked almost all of the time for the type of coding I'm doing. Agent mode has never worked when I try it. Please add a setting to restore Edit mode. (Also, it might be helpful to have instructions somewhere on how to prompt Agent mode, because the prompts that I use with Edit mode that work fine don't work at all with Agent mode.)

[jhonkaman]

Another thought occurred to me: since there's an option to Configure Custom Agents..., is it possible for users to recreate the Edit mode on their own (if you decide not to add a setting to restore Edit mode)?

[audunsolemdal]

@audunsolemdal thanks for opening this issue. We are moving away from Edit mode since we believe that Agentic experience is better in every aspect (and our data backs this up). Though I am curious to hear what is your scenario that you did with Edit that you can not do with Agent?

It might just be a habit I'm used to, and I couldn't find any notes in the changelog regarding it :) . I enjoy the ability to have copilot one-shot edits rather than the agent prompting me for details. I'll try giving agent mode another chance with a more open mind.

[juliarak-hola]

+10000000
Agent mode works terribly when working from a Windows machine connected to a Linux VM
Only edit mode is able to handle edits in this kind of setup

Is it possible for users to recreate the Edit mode on their own? If so, please tell us how

[Marygraceee]

Please add edit mode back.

[isidorn]

Thanks for your feedback. We are pretty convinced the agentic experience is better in every way than Edit mode. So it would be awesome if you can share exact (reproducible) scenarios where you prefer edit mode to agent. Thank you 🙏

Agent mode has never worked when I try it.

Javier Alvarado (@jhonkaman) can you provide repro steps - or even a new bug. There is no scenario where edit should work and agent does not.

Agent mode works terribly when working from a Windows machine connected to a Linux VM. Only edit mode is able to handle edits in this kind of setup

juliarak-hola can you file a new issue for this please?

Another thought occurred to me: since there's an option to Configure Custom Agents..., is it possible for users to recreate the Edit mode on their own (if you decide not to add a setting to restore Edit mode)?

YES, great point! https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/custom-agents
Everyone - please try to create a custom agent which you do not give search tools and it might work very similar to the previous Edit mode.

[jhonkaman]

I should've been more precise with my wording. Agent mode will produce code, but it's not the code I want at all. Here's an example. I have a project using Next.js and Firebase. It's using the App Router. I had app/dashboard/page.js open in VS Code. I gave Agent mode the following prompt:

Update this page to be a todo list with add and delete features that gets saved to Firebase.

Instead of modifying the file I had open, it created pages/index.tsx. For some reason the agent assumed I was using the Pages Router and TypeScript, when I'm actually using the App Router and JavaScript. I then started a new chat and switched to Edit mode, and it was able to do it correctly on the first try.

So it's hard for me to see the value in letting Agent mode gather its own context when it's slower and ends up totally misinterpreting the project structure. Plus, I think this is a relatively simple project/task that it failed on, and I don't have any MCP servers installed.

Maybe I have to change the way I'm prompting to transition from Edit mode to Agent mode. Maybe you can provide some tips. But my preference would be to keep Edit mode. I know all of the AI tools are pushing agents, but in my opinion Edit mode is the killer feature. It's very straightforward and easy-to-use.