A fresh release of GitHub Copilot for JetBrains brings multiple capabilities aimed at enterprise deployments and developer workflows. The update includes enterprise-managed sandbox policies in public preview, cross-file cursor jumps for next edit suggestions, global project context in chat, enterprise policy diagnostics, and integration between terminal Copilot CLI sessions and JetBrains IDEs. The release also refines model selection, enhances the chat interface, and strengthens reliability for MCP servers and agent sessions.

What's new

Enterprise-managed sandbox policies in public preview

Organization administrators can now set sandbox behavior centrally for GitHub Copilot running within JetBrains IDEs. These managed policies govern whether the sandbox is enabled, control filesystem and network access, configure proxy settings, manage developer-tool access, and regulate macOS Keychain access, among other capabilities.

Organization-level restrictions override individual user preferences. The IDE locks the affected controls and marks which settings are managed by the organization, enabling administrators to maintain consistent boundaries across development environments.

Sandbox settings appear under GitHub Copilot > Sandbox when the organization has enabled the Editor Preview feature flag or configured a managed setting to turn the sandbox on or off. If neither condition is met, the sandbox settings remain hidden.

Cross-file cursor jumps in next edit suggestions

Next edit suggestions can now reposition the cursor across different files, enabling developers to navigate and implement coordinated code changes throughout a project. When a suggested modification spans multiple files, users can jump directly to the relevant location rather than searching manually.

Global project context in chat

Chat now supports adding global files and folders to the context window, streamlining the process of incorporating information relevant across the entire project. This capability minimizes the need to repeatedly configure context and enables Copilot to deliver more targeted responses for modifications that affect multiple project areas.

Enterprise policy diagnostics

A new diagnostics feature allows verification that policies are properly recognized and applied on the local device. This simplifies confirmation that Copilot configuration aligns with organizational standards.

Connect terminal Copilot CLI sessions to your IDE

The /ide command in GitHub Copilot CLI now enables linking a terminal session to JetBrains IDE context, including text selections, diagnostics, and file references. This integration, available in public preview, helps terminal-based development workflows maintain awareness of what is currently visible and being edited in the IDE.

Copilot shell commands can access environment variables from the IDE terminal and leverage the Python interpreter configured for the project. They can activate the project's standard local Python virtual environment, ensuring command execution remains consistent with the development environment setup.

User experience enhancements

Several interaction and navigation refinements address common workflows:

  • Background agent prompts: The ask-user card has been improved to handle lengthy questions more effectively.
  • Model selection: The model picker behavior and BYOK grouping have been refined to simplify scanning and selection.
  • Subagent models: Support for selecting the session model used by built-in subagents in the Copilot agent harness has been added.
  • Agent debug logs: Section copy functionality has been introduced to enable faster sharing of diagnostics and troubleshooting information.
  • MCP configuration: MCP configuration now opens in the originating project window for improved continuity.
  • Plugin updates: Update reminders have been improved to make new plugin versions more discoverable.

Quality improvements

Reliability enhancements span MCP servers and agent sessions, addressing BYOK provider persistence, OAuth challenge continuity, restored server state, and GitHub Enterprise authentication. The release also fixes blank local chat sessions, inaccurate working-set counts, working-set zoom and model picker interaction problems, and read-only file editing issues. Additional corrections address Claude plan stop behavior, misleading diagnostics for unopened files, stale global instructions in "Agent Customizations," and chats becoming unresponsive following automatic compaction.

Generally Available

OpenTelemetry settings within "GitHub Copilot – Chat" are now generally available to all users.

Try it out

Users are encouraged to install the latest version of the GitHub Copilot plugin and provide feedback. Input from the community helps refine and advance the product.

Feedback can be shared through multiple channels:

  • In-product feedback: Use the feedback options available within the IDE.
  • Feedback repository: Submit thoughts in the GitHub Copilot for JetBrains IDEs issues repository.

Source: GitHub Blog