Phoenix Code Stable Release v5.2.5

2026 August release (5.2) of Phoenix Code is now available for download at phcode.io.

This release brings the Styles Bar for styling your page visually, State of the art Code Intelligence for JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, Python, and PHP, AI Model Selection, a Starter Bar for blank pages, Doc Comment Generation, an Improved Git Panel, and Video and Audio Preview right in the editor.

Style Your Page Visually with the Styles Bar

The new Styles Bar in Live Preview lets you style any element on your page visually - change fonts, colors, backgrounds, borders, spacing, alignment, and layout directly in your page instantly.

Choose where changes are saved in CSS. Edit states like hover and focus. Browse and search Google Fonts or system fonts. Starting from scratch? A blank page now shows a starter bar so you can add your first element right from the preview.

Code Intelligence for JavaScript, TypeScript, JSON, Python, and PHP

Phoenix Code now ships IDE-grade code intelligence for:

• JavaScript & TypeScript - completions, go to definition, find usages, and error checking, with automatically managed project configuration.
• JSON and Npm smarts - Package JSON and other known JSON formats code intelligence. npm package name and version suggestions as you type, dependency info on hover, and warnings for packages with known vulnerabilities.
• Python - code intelligence with built-in code formatting.
• PHP - full code intelligence, installed on demand when you open a PHP file.

Language servers are downloaded and set up automatically in the background - no manual installation needed. Documentation is now shown with code hints and hovering code shows quick actions to jump to a definition or find usages.

This feature is available only in desktop apps.

Choose Your AI Model/Disable AI

Pick which Claude model powers your AI chat, right from the chat panel.

Prefer an editor without AI? It can now be switched off completely from View > Enable AI or the AI settings dialog. Read More...

This feature is available only in desktop apps.

Start from a blank page

Edit Mode needs an element to work on, and a blank page has none. Now a Starter Bar appears on empty pages so you can add your first element right from the preview, and Phoenix Code creates the page structure for you. Read More...

Generate Doc Comments

Type /** on the line above a function or class and accept the hint that appears. Phoenix Code reads the signature and generates a documentation comment with every parameter filled in, in each language's own convention: JSDoc for JavaScript and TypeScript, PHPDoc for PHP, docstrings for Python, and more. Read More...

Git improvements

See your current branch in the sidebar and Git panel, and click to switch or create branches.

You can also use Open All Changed Files in the Git panel menu to open every modified file at once. Read More...

Video and Audio Preview

Click a video or audio file in your project to play it right inside the editor, just like image preview.

Phoenix Code Stable Release v5.2.4

-- release pulled back due to a bug in update infrastructure--
Please use release V5.2.5

Phoenix Code Stable Release v5.1.24

2026 May release (5.1) of Phoenix Code is now available for download at phcode.io.

Our biggest update yet - this release brings AI into the editor with Claude Code, a new Design Mode for visual editing, a rich Markdown editor, a built-in terminal, responsive device previews, a rebuilt Linux app, and a fresh new look with the Phoenix Neo themes.

Try ideas, build pages, and fix issues with AI

Phoenix Code now includes an AI assistant powered by Claude Code - one that sees what you see, not just your code. Try ideas, make changes, and refine your work just by chatting.

Attach files or capture a screenshot to show the AI exactly what you mean. It stays out of your way until you need it, so you can stay focused on the creative work.

This feature is available only in desktop apps.

Design Mode

Focus fully on your content while your code stays out of the way. Work side by side with AI and Live Preview. Edit content visually - whether you’re building web pages or Markdown documents.

Rich Markdown Editor

Edit Markdown like a document in Live Preview. Now it’s easy to add images - just paste or pick one from your device, like in Google Docs or Word.

Format text, edit tables, and add diagrams with real-time sync between code and live preview. An easier way to create Markdown files that you can share anywhere.

Live Preview Edit Upgrades

Format text with bold, italic, and more. Add elements and update tags, classes, and attributes - all directly in Live Preview.

View your page at any device size

Switch between popular phones, tablets, and desktops with a single click to see how your page looks at that size.
Phoenix Code also picks up your CSS @media breakpoints so you can jump straight to where your layout switches.

Built-in Terminal

Run commands right next to your code in the new built-in terminal.
Phoenix Code allows you to open multiple terminal tabs with your preferred shell.

This feature is available only in desktop apps.

All Your Tools, One Place

A new tools drawer brings Git, Terminal, Problems, and more into one place. Switch between them instantly without panels getting in your way.

New Linux Platform

Phoenix Code for Linux has been rebuilt from the ground up.

The previous Linux app was harder to install and didn’t match the experience we wanted to deliver. We heard that feedback loud and clear. This release is powered by a brand-new Linux platform, bringing faster performance, easier installation, and a desktop experience that now stands alongside Windows and macOS.

Phoenix Neo Themes

Meet Phoenix Dark Neo and Phoenix Light Neo - the redesigned default themes with a cleaner, modernized look.

Switch between them anytime from View > Themes....

Phoenix Code Stable Release v5.1.3

Phoenix Code Release Notes

Patch release for educational institutions.
Phoenix pro for education working on windows/mac/Linux with license keys.

Phoenix Code Stable Release v5.0.5

2026 January release (5.0) of Phoenix Code is now available for download at phcode.io.

Our biggest update yet - introducing Phoenix Pro and major upgrades like Live Preview Edit, Emmet, Tab Bar, and Custom Snippets.

Phoenix Pro - A Sustainable Future

Phoenix Code has been free and open source from day one - and everything you’ve used so far will remain free forever, including Live Preview.

We’re a small, full-time indie team with no VC backing, building Phoenix Code because we believe the web deserves a code editor that’s genuinely simple and joyful to use. We tried to sustain development through community donations (Open Collective), but over the last few years it hasn’t been enough to support full-time work - and we reached a hard choice: slow down drastically, or find a sustainable path that keeps Phoenix Code healthy.

So we’re introducing Phoenix Pro as an optional way to support Phoenix Code’s future - with one Pro feature: Live Preview Edit.
If Phoenix Code has helped you, Phoenix Pro is a way to help keep the project moving forward.

Students & educators get Phoenix Pro for Education at no cost, because we want classrooms to have easy access to modern, easy-to-use development tooling. Read More

Live Preview Edit

Included with Phoenix Pro.

Live Preview Edit lets you make changes directly on your page — and updates your source code instantly.

Edit text, links, and images. Drag & drop to rearrange elements. Cut, copy, paste, and use measurement tools to place things precisely.

Learn more: Live Preview Edit, Image Gallery, Measurements.

Emmet

Emmet one of our most requested features is finally here.

Write Emmet abbreviations and Phoenix Code shows you hints. Select a hint to expand it into a full code snippet. Code faster than ever. Read More

Tab Bar

Tab Bar is here. View all your open files at the top of the editor and switch between them instantly.

Choose what works for you - Tab Bar, Working Files, or both at the same time. Read More

Custom Snippets

Define your own code hints with Custom Snippets.

Create hints that expand into full code blocks. You can also add cursor positions so Phoenix Code places your cursor exactly where you need it after expansion. Read More

Collapse Folders

After working for some time, your project structure gets messy with lots of open and nested directories.

But no worries now. Phoenix Code supports Collapse All Folders, which lets you reset your view by collapsing all expanded folders to their root level in one click. Read More

Notable changes and fixes

• Improved Live Preview to support internal stylesheets and SVGs better than before.
• Smarter color hints. Phoenix Code prioritizes your previously used colors. Read More
• Git markers now appear in the scrollbar, making it easier to locate changes in a file.
• Improved Git so that it doesn't show stale project status.
• Reduced the number of popups shown when first installing Phoenix.
• Fixed an issue where macOS/iOS and browser autocorrect or smart keyboards altered filenames during renames.
• Added a dialog to notify users when they have security compromised extensions installed.
• Slowed down the Quick View popup on hover as it was interfering with user workflows.
• Fixed ghost image appearing in Safari when dragging from CodeMirror.
• Long names in Working Files are now truncated for better readability.
• Added Horizontal Scroll support. Use Shift + mouse scroll.

All changes

Please see this link for a full list of changes
in GitHub.

A Request from the Phoenix Team:

• Share your feedback: https://github.com/orgs/phcode-dev/discussions
• Spread the word about Phoenix to friends and colleagues.

With gratitude,

The Phoenix Team

Phoenix Code Stable Release v4.0.3

2025 January release(4.0) of Phoenix Code is now available for download at phcode.io.

This is the largest release we had in a while, and we are happy to announce the next phase of Phoenix Code with
a major version bump to 4.0.

The legacy of Brackets - Continued

A decade-long journey of pushing web development forward: The Brackets story continues with Phoenix Code.
Read more about the story of Brackets and the journey to build Phoenix Code and the Brackets community.

This release's core theme is Git, Color previews, UX imporovements and stability.

Git for Desktop

Git is finally here. Integrated Git source control with a clean, intuitive interface. Stage changes, commit, and sync with a single click while keeping your focus on the code. Now available in the Windows, Mac and Linux desktop apps of Phoenix code. Read More...

Our Git integration is built upon the incredible work of the developers behind Brackets-Git, whose contributions made this possible. Thank you!

Color Previews

Preview the color(s) used in the file in the gutter area. Hovering over a color box highlights the corresponding color text in the editor to quickly jump to editing that color. Read More...

Open in Terminal and File Explorer

New "Open In" feature lets you instantly open directories and files in the system Terminal or File Explorer across Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop apps!

Better Translations

We've moved to an LLM-assisted translation framework, delivering higher-quality translations for non-English locales.

Notable changes and fixes

• We've removed some inconsistent and rarely used keyboard shortcuts to free up more key combinations for customization.
  Easily configure your own keyboard shortcuts through the UI.
• Fixed Option-[shift]-left and option-[shift]-right keyboard shortcuts not working in mac to select/move words.
• Survey popups are now less intrusive, appearing as notifications without disrupting your workflow.
• Moved back line:ch status to left of statusbar. Go to line will accept :ln:col format along with :ln,col.
• Remove specific files from Recent Files
• Fixes holding ctrl key in windows should not ui overlay mode.
• fix: cmd-click in mac app and safari didn't open context menu.
• Switching between Ctrl+F and Ctrl+Shift+F now correctly updates the search box with the latest selection.
• fix: clicking on prevent defaulted A tags in desktop live preview opens browser tab.

Performance & Stability Tweaks

• Faster boot times with extension compression and load changes
  consistency and performance, especially on Safari and macOS.
• File recovery should only be shown on crash, and fix some file recovery issues.

All changes

Please see this link for a full list of changes in GitHub.

A Request from the Phoenix Team:

• Share your feedback: https://github.com/orgs/phcode-dev/discussions
• Spread the word about Phoenix to friends and colleagues.
• Consider supporting us on GitHub Sponsors. Every contribution helps us to keep improving Phoenix Code.

With gratitude,

The Phoenix Team

Phoenix Code Stable Release v3.10.0

November release(3.10) of Phoenix Code is now available.

This month's core theme is Editor UI improvements. We have fine-tuned the editing experience for better
performance and visual feedback.
We've also made substantial improvements to docs.phcode.dev to better support extension
developers.

Indent Guide Lines

Phoenix Code now supports indent guidelines to help you better visualize code structure. This feature can
be toggled via View > Indent Guide Lines. Read more...

Customizable Editor Line Height

Theme Settings (View > Themes...) now has a new Line Height slider. Adjust the editor line height between 1x and 3x to find your
perfect balance of readability and screen real estate. Read more...

Also added a Get More... button to the Themes dialog, linking directly to the themes section in Extension Manager.

Line:Col Indicator Relocation

Moved to the right of the status bar, accommodating future status bar extensions. Click on the line:col section in the
statusbar to jump to specific lines.

Performance Tweaks

• Major improvements to editor rendering with better editor scroll
  consistency and performance, especially on Safari and macOS.
• Faster startup of extension manager.

Stability Improvements

• File recovery now does integrity checks for more reliable crash recovery.
• Fixed Markdown image link handling within href tags.
• Improved extension registry management to prevent quota issues on Mac/Linux.

Documentation Updates

Our documentation site - docs.phcode.dev has received a major overhaul:

• Updated user guide: docs.phcode.dev/docs/intro
• New API documentation for extension developers: docs.phcode.dev/api/getting-started

All changes

Please see this link for a full list of changes
in GitHub.

A Request from the Phoenix Team:

• Share your feedback: https://github.com/orgs/phcode-dev/discussions
• Spread the word about Phoenix to friends and colleagues.
• Consider supporting us on GitHub Sponsors. Every contribution helps us
  to keep improving Phoenix Code.

Phoenix Code Experimental build v3.10.0

Phoenix Code Release Notes

Experimental build for testing purposes -- do not use.

Phoenix Code Stable Release v3.9.4

September release(3.9) of Phoenix Code is now available.

This month's core theme is App robustness and stability improvements.
We have also added several HTML and Text Editing workflow improvements.

Now Available on ChromeOS

All new native ChromeOS app is now available on the Google Play Store.
The ChromeOS app is a highly requested feature and is specially made for education and student use.

Auto rename start and end of HTML/XML/SVG tags

Automatically rename paired HTML/XML/SVG tags as you type at the start or end of the tag. Read more...

Auto Tab and Spacing detection

Phoenix Code can now automatically detect and apply the indentation style (tabs or spaces) based on the existing code in the file.
Read more...

UX Improvements

• Reopen closed files option added to File menu. Shortcut: Ctrl-Shift-T, or (Cmd-Shift-T on Mac).
• Go to Next Problem and Go to Previous Problem option added to Navigate menu.
• Tab key press to insert code hints
• window.alert, window.confirm and window.prompt APIs will work in live preview
• Clicking on live preview no longer automatically switches from your current unrelated file to the main HTML file.
• Live preview usability and navigation improvements - (1, 2)
• Increase/Decrease font size will change the Editor Font size Only.
• Fixed issue where code folding markers disappear when hovering over gutter in dark theme.
• .cjs and .mjs files support as javascript files.
• Support for shtml custom server live preview.

Stability Improvements

• Fixes node crashes after wakeup from sleep in Windows/Mac.
• Kaspersky AV trojan horse false positive mitigation.
• Corrupt preferences auto reset.
• Boot time crash recovery.
• Phoenix Code won't start in some Fedora/other Linux distros.

Update on Release Schedule

In the past, we've released Phoenix Code updates on a monthly basis. However, last month we encountered an issue with our release that led to stability problems for our users.

To address this, we've taken a step back to reevaluate our release process and make improvements to ensure greater robustness and reliability going forward.

As a result, we've decided to slow down the desktop release schedule to once every two months. This will allow us to thoroughly test each update and deliver a more stable experience.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the previous release and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve the quality of Phoenix Code.

We look forward to bringing you new features and improvements in a more controlled and reliable manner.

A Request from the Phoenix Team:

• Share your feedback: https://github.com/orgs/phcode-dev/discussions
• Spread the word about Phoenix to friends and colleagues.
• Consider supporting us on GitHub Sponsors.
  Every contribution helps us to keep improving Phoenix Code.

Phoenix Code Experimental build v3.9.1

prerelase for testing only!