# Is Copilot Down? How to Check GitHub Copilot Status & Quick Fixes

# Is Copilot Down? How to Check GitHub Copilot Status & Quick Fixes

Suggestions stopped appearing. Copilot icon shows error. Authentication keeps failing. When GitHub Copilot has issues, developers worldwide lose their AI pair programmer mid-workflow. But "Copilot down" can mean different things: GitHub Copilot (code completion), Microsoft Copilot (web assistant), Copilot for Business/Enterprise infrastructure, or specific IDE integration issues. This guide helps you diagnose what's actually broken and how to get back to coding.

## Check GitHub Copilot Status Right Now

**[Check real-time GitHub Copilot status on API Status Check →](https://apistatuscheck.com)**

We monitor GitHub Copilot's API, authentication service, and completion performance every 60 seconds. See exactly what's affected and whether it's a platform-wide outage or local issue.

## Understanding Copilot's Service Architecture

GitHub Copilot operates as multiple interconnected services. An outage in one doesn't always cascade:

### GitHub Copilot (copilot.github.com)
The code suggestion service used in VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and other editors.

**Infrastructure:** Azure-hosted model inference + GitHub authentication
**When down:** No suggestions appear, "Copilot not responding" errors, status icon shows error
**Impact:** All developers using Copilot extensions lose code completions

**Key distinction:** GitHub Copilot is different from Microsoft Copilot (Bing/Edge assistant). Different services.

### GitHub Copilot Chat
Conversational AI interface within IDEs for asking questions about code.

**When down:** Chat panel shows "Unable to connect," messages don't send
**Impact:** Chat unavailable but inline suggestions may still work

### Copilot for Business/Enterprise
Organization-managed Copilot with admin controls and private model training.

**Infrastructure:** Same as individual Copilot + additional enterprise API layer
**When down:** Business users can't authenticate, suggestions fail for org members
**Impact:** Enterprise customers affected, individual accounts may work fine

### GitHub Authentication (github.com/login/oauth)
OAuth service that validates Copilot subscriptions.

**When down:** "Failed to authenticate" errors, Copilot shows "Not signed in"
**Impact:** Can't activate Copilot even if inference servers work

### Model Inference Infrastructure
Azure OpenAI Service powers Copilot's code generation.

**When down:** Suggestions extremely slow (10+ seconds) or don't appear
**Impact:** Global slowdown or complete failure of suggestions

## Common Copilot Errors & Issues

### "GitHub Copilot could not connect to server"

**Most common error.** Copilot extension can't reach GitHub's inference servers.

**Possible causes:**
1. **GitHub Copilot infrastructure outage** (check status)
2. **Corporate firewall blocking** (copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com)
3. **Network connectivity** (your internet)
4. **VPN interference** (some VPNs block WebSocket connections)

**Quick diagnostic:**

**Test 1:** Check GitHub's status
- Go to https://www.githubstatus.com
- Look for "Copilot" service status

**Test 2:** Try different network
- Disconnect VPN and retry
- Use phone hotspot to bypass corporate network

**Test 3:** Check firewall**
Ask IT to whitelist:
- `copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com`
- `*.github.com`
- Port 443 (HTTPS) and WebSocket protocol

### Suggestions Not Appearing

**Copilot seems to be working (no error icon) but suggestions don't show.**

**Common causes:**

**1. File type not supported:**
Copilot works best with:
- JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Go, Ruby, Java, C/C++

Limited support:
- Shell scripts, SQL, YAML

**Test:** Open a `.js` or `.py` file and type a function. If suggestions appear, previous file type wasn't supported.

**2. Suggestions disabled for file:**
VS Code can disable Copilot per-file or per-language.

Check settings:
```json
// .vscode/settings.json
{
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,  // enabled for all files
    "yaml": false,  // disabled for YAML
    "markdown": false
  }
}
```

**3. Inline suggestions disabled:**
Copilot icon shows checkmark but suggestions hidden.

Fix:
- VS Code: View → Command Palette → "GitHub Copilot: Enable"
- JetBrains: Tools → GitHub Copilot → Enable completions

**4. Prompt too ambiguous:**
Copilot needs context. Empty file = no suggestions.

Try:
```python
# Write a function that fetches user data from an API
def get_user_data
```

Adding comment gives Copilot context.

### "GitHub Copilot subscription not found"

**Authentication succeeded but no active subscription detected.**

**Causes:**

**1. Subscription expired:**
- Free trial ended (60 days)
- Payment failed
- Organization removed you from Copilot license pool

**Check subscription:**
1. Go to github.com/settings/copilot
2. See "Subscription status"
3. If expired, resubscribe at github.com/features/copilot/plans

**2. Wrong GitHub account signed in:**
Copilot uses different account than the one with subscription.

VS Code:
1. Click Copilot icon (bottom bar)
2. "Sign out"
3. Sign back in with correct account

**3. Organization subscription not provisioned:**
Your company bought Copilot but hasn't assigned you a seat.

Ask admin to add you:
- Organization settings → Copilot → Manage access → Add people

### Authentication Fails / "Sign in to use GitHub Copilot"

**Can't authenticate at all.**

**Troubleshooting:**

**1. GitHub OAuth service down:**
Check https://www.githubstatus.com → "Git Operations" and "API Requests"

If down, wait for GitHub to recover.

**2. Browser blocked OAuth popup:**
VS Code opens browser for authentication. If popup blocked:

Fix:
- Allow popups from `vscode://` protocol
- Try manual device code flow: Command Palette → "GitHub Copilot: Sign in with device code"

**3. SSO organization restrictions:**
Your GitHub account is in an organization with SSO enabled.

Fix:
1. Complete GitHub SSO authentication
2. Authorize "GitHub Copilot" application in GitHub settings

**4. Cached credentials corrupted:**
Old tokens causing auth loop.

Clear cache:
- VS Code: Command Palette → "Developer: Reload Window"
- Delete `~/.config/github-copilot/` (or equivalent on your OS)
- Sign in again

### Extremely Slow Suggestions (10+ seconds)

**Copilot works but takes forever to respond.**

**Causes:**

**1. Model inference overload:**
High demand on GitHub's Azure OpenAI backend.

**Peak times:** US work hours (9 AM - 5 PM PT), Monday mornings

**No fix** - just wait. Suggestions will be slow until load decreases.

**2. Large file context:**
Copilot analyzes entire file. Huge files (5K+ lines) slow processing.

**Workaround:**
- Break large files into smaller modules
- Close unrelated large files in editor

**3. Network latency:**
High ping to GitHub servers.

**Test:**
```bash
ping copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com
# Should be <100ms
```

If 300ms+, network path is slow. Try different network or VPN.

### Copilot Chat Not Working

**Chat panel shows "Unable to connect" but inline suggestions work.**

**Chat runs on separate infrastructure.**

**Fixes:**

**1. Restart IDE:**
Close and reopen VS Code/JetBrains completely.

**2. Check Copilot Chat specific status:**
Chat has its own service. Check https://www.githubstatus.com

**3. Update extension:**
Old versions have chat bugs.
- VS Code: Extensions → GitHub Copilot → Update
- Restart IDE after update

**4. Clear chat history:**
Corrupted chat state can cause connection issues.
- Command Palette → "GitHub Copilot: Clear Chat History"

## How to Check Copilot Status

### 1. GitHub Status Page
**https://www.githubstatus.com**

Shows status for:
- **GitHub Copilot** (core service)
- **Git Operations** (authentication)
- **API Requests** (affects Copilot API)
- **Webhooks** (enterprise features)

**Status indicators:**
- 🟢 Operational
- 🟡 Degraded Performance
- 🔴 Partial Outage / Major Outage

**Subscribe:** Email/SMS alerts for Copilot-specific incidents

### 2. GitHub Support Twitter
**@GitHubStatus**

Real-time updates during outages:
```
@GitHubStatus: "We are investigating reports of errors with GitHub Copilot. 
Updates will be posted here."
```

### 3. API Status Check (Our Monitoring)
**https://apistatuscheck.com/copilot**

We test GitHub Copilot every 60 seconds:
- Completion API availability
- Response time trends
- Authentication success rate
- Error rate monitoring

Real-time status independent of GitHub's self-reporting.

### 4. Copilot IDE Extension Status

**VS Code:**
Look at bottom status bar:
- ✓ icon = working
- ⚠️ icon = degraded
- ❌ icon = error

Click icon for detailed status.

**JetBrains:**
Tools → GitHub Copilot → Status

**Neovim:**
`:Copilot status`

### 5. Manual API Test

**Test Copilot programmatically:**
```bash
# Requires valid GitHub token with copilot scope
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_TOKEN" \
     https://copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com/v1/engines/copilot-codex/completions
```

If returns 401/403 even with valid token, service is down.

## Troubleshooting GitHub Copilot Step-by-Step

### Step 1: Verify Copilot Extension Status

**Check extension is enabled:**

**VS Code:**
1. Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search "GitHub Copilot"
3. Should show "Disable" button (meaning it's enabled)
4. Click for status details

**JetBrains:**
1. Settings → Plugins
2. Search "GitHub Copilot"
3. Checkbox should be checked

### Step 2: Check Subscription & Authentication

**Verify account:**
1. Click Copilot icon in IDE
2. Check logged-in account matches subscription
3. If wrong account, sign out and sign in with correct one

**Verify subscription:**
1. Go to github.com/settings/copilot
2. Should show "Active" subscription
3. If "Expired," resubscribe

### Step 3: Test in Different File

**Ensure file type is supported:**

Create new file:
```python
# test.py
def calculate_sum(a, b):
    # Type a comment about what function should do
    # Copilot should suggest implementation
```

If suggestions appear here but not in your actual work file:
- File type wasn't supported, or
- Work file has Copilot disabled in settings

### Step 4: Restart IDE Completely

**Full restart sequence:**
1. **Save all work**
2. **Close IDE completely** (don't just close window)
   - macOS: Cmd+Q to fully quit
   - Windows: File → Exit
3. **Wait 5 seconds**
4. **Reopen IDE**

Clears extension cache and re-establishes server connection.

### Step 5: Update Copilot Extension

**Outdated extensions have bugs.**

**VS Code:**
1. Extensions → GitHub Copilot
2. If "Update" button visible, click it
3. Restart VS Code after update

**JetBrains:**
1. Settings → Plugins
2. Check for updates
3. Restart IDE

**Current versions (as of Feb 2026):**
- VS Code: 1.150.0+
- JetBrains: 1.4.0+

### Step 6: Check Network & Firewall

**Corporate firewalls often block Copilot.**

**Test connectivity:**
```bash
curl -I https://copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com
# Should return 200-series status
```

If connection refused or timeout, firewall is blocking.

**Required whitelist:**
- `copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com`
- `*.github.com`
- `githubusercontent.com`
- WebSocket protocol on port 443

**VPN issues:**
Some VPNs break Copilot. Test with VPN disconnected.

### Step 7: Clear Extension Cache

**Corrupted cache causes weird issues.**

**VS Code cache location:**
- **macOS:** `~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/github.copilot/`
- **Windows:** `%APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\github.copilot\`
- **Linux:** `~/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/github.copilot/`

**Clear cache:**
1. Close VS Code completely
2. Delete the `github.copilot` folder
3. Restart VS Code
4. Sign in to Copilot again

## What to Do During a Copilot Outage

### 1. Switch to Alternative AI Code Assistants

**Don't wait for Copilot to recover.**

**Cursor:**
- Standalone VS Code fork with built-in AI
- Uses GPT-4 + Claude
- cursor.sh
- **Best fallback** - same keybindings as VS Code

**Cody (by Sourcegraph):**
- Multi-model support (Claude, GPT-4, StarCoder)
- Free tier available
- VS Code + JetBrains extensions
- cody.dev

**Tabnine:**
- Privacy-focused (can run locally)
- Supports more languages than Copilot
- Free tier: limited completions
- tabnine.com

**Supermaven:**
- Fast completions (faster than Copilot)
- Good free tier
- VS Code extension
- supermaven.com

**Quick switch setup:**
1. Install alternative extension
2. Disable GitHub Copilot temporarily
3. Keep both installed, toggle as needed

### 2. Use Copilot CLI as Alternative

**If IDE extension down but API works:**

GitHub Copilot has a CLI tool:
```bash
# Install
npm install -g @githubnext/github-copilot-cli

# Authenticate
copilot-cli auth

# Use
copilot-cli "write a function to parse JSON"
```

Bypasses IDE extension issues.

### 3. Leverage Local Code Completion

**Your IDE has built-in completion (no AI):**

**VS Code:**
- IntelliSense (Ctrl+Space)
- Tab completion based on current file
- Not as smart as Copilot but works offline

**JetBrains:**
- Smart Code Completion (Ctrl+Shift+Space)
- Very good for Java, Python, JS

**Fallback strategy:**
Disable Copilot, rely on IDE's native features until recovery.

### 4. Pre-download Common Code Snippets

**During normal operation, save common patterns:**

Create personal snippet library:
```json
// VS Code: User Snippets
{
  "API Fetch": {
    "prefix": "apifetch",
    "body": [
      "async function fetchData(url) {",
      "  const response = await fetch(url);",
      "  const data = await response.json();",
      "  return data;",
      "}"
    ]
  }
}
```

Works even when Copilot is down.

### 5. Set Up Status Monitoring

**Get alerted before losing flow state:**

**[Monitor GitHub Copilot →](https://apistatuscheck.com/pricing)**

Our Alert Pro plan ($9/month) tracks:
- **GitHub Copilot** (completions + chat + authentication)
- **Cursor** (your fallback)
- **Cody** (alternative)
- **60-second checks**
- **Instant alerts** via email, Slack, Discord

Know about Copilot degradation before your next keystroke fails.

## GitHub Copilot Outage History & Patterns

### Notable Incidents

**November 2025** - 4-hour authentication outage
- **Cause:** GitHub OAuth service database issue
- **Impact:** Users couldn't authenticate, suggestions unavailable
- **Recovery:** Database replica failover, gradual rollout
- **Lesson:** Copilot depends on GitHub's core auth infrastructure

**August 2025** - Slow suggestions (6 hours)
- **Cause:** Azure OpenAI capacity exceeded during back-to-school spike
- **Impact:** Suggestions took 15-30 seconds instead of 1-2 seconds
- **Recovery:** Microsoft scaled Azure OpenAI endpoints
- **Lesson:** Launch periods (new semester, conferences) stress capacity

**May 2025** - Copilot Chat-specific outage (2 hours)
- **Cause:** Chat API backend deployment bug
- **Impact:** Chat unavailable, inline suggestions worked fine
- **Recovery:** Rolled back deployment
- **Lesson:** Chat and completions are separate services

**February 2025** - Enterprise Copilot issues (3 hours)
- **Cause:** Organization-level policy service degradation
- **Impact:** Business/Enterprise users couldn't access Copilot
- **Recovery:** Fixed policy service
- **Lesson:** Enterprise has additional failure points vs individual

### Patterns Observed

**Time of day:**
- **Most issues:** US work hours (9 AM - 6 PM PT)
- **Least issues:** Weekends and late night

**Day of week:**
- **Mondays:** Highest usage = highest chance of capacity issues
- **Fridays:** Fewer users, typically stable

**Launch-related:**
- New feature announcements drive usage spikes
- Back-to-school periods (August, January) stress capacity
- Major conference announcements (GitHub Universe) increase load

**Uptime:**
- **Overall:** ~99.6% (35 hours down per year)
- **Authentication:** Most common failure point
- **Model inference:** Occasional slowdowns during peak hours

## GitHub Copilot vs Alternatives

### When Copilot is Down, What's Comparable?

| Tool | Cost | IDE Support | Model | Context | Speed | Offline |
|------|------|-------------|-------|---------|-------|---------|
| **GitHub Copilot** | $10/mo | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Vim | GPT-4 based | File + open tabs | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ |
| **Cursor** | $20/mo | Built-in (VS Code fork) | GPT-4 + Claude | Entire codebase | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ |
| **Cody** | Free - $9/mo | VS Code, JetBrains | Claude, GPT-4 | Entire repo | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ |
| **Tabnine** | Free - $12/mo | All major IDEs | Custom models | File-level | ⭐⭐⭐ | ✅ |
| **Supermaven** | Free - $10/mo | VS Code, JetBrains | Custom | 300K tokens | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ❌ |

**Best fallback:**
- **Drop-in replacement:** Cody (similar UX, free tier)
- **Better than Copilot:** Cursor (full codebase awareness)
- **Privacy-focused:** Tabnine (local models available)
- **Speed priority:** Supermaven (fastest suggestions)

### Quick Switch: Copilot → Cursor

**Cursor is easiest migration:**

1. Download Cursor from cursor.sh
2. Cursor imports VS Code settings automatically
3. Sign in with OpenAI or Anthropic API key
4. Use Cmd+K (same as Copilot) for completions

**Advantage:** Cursor analyzes entire codebase, not just open files.

## FAQ

**Q: Is GitHub Copilot down right now?**  
A: Check [apistatuscheck.com/copilot](https://apistatuscheck.com) or githubstatus.com for real-time status.

**Q: Why do suggestions take 10+ seconds?**  
A: Model inference overload during peak hours. Wait for load to decrease or use alternative during high-traffic times.

**Q: Can I use Copilot offline?**  
A: No. GitHub Copilot requires internet connection to GitHub's servers. Use Tabnine or JetBrains' local AI for offline coding.

**Q: How long do Copilot outages last?**  
A: Minor issues: 15-30 minutes. Major outages: 2-4 hours. Longest in 2025: 4 hours (OAuth failure).

**Q: Does GitHub have an SLA for Copilot?**  
A: Not for individual/business plans. Enterprise plans may have custom SLAs. No public SLA commitment.

**Q: Why does Copilot work for coworkers but not me?**  
A: Check your subscription status at github.com/settings/copilot. May be expired or org removed your seat.

**Q: Can I get a refund for Copilot downtime?**  
A: GitHub's terms don't guarantee uptime. Individual users unlikely to get refunds. Enterprise customers can negotiate credits in SLA.

**Q: Is Microsoft Copilot the same as GitHub Copilot?**  
A: No. Different services. Microsoft Copilot = Bing/Office assistant. GitHub Copilot = code completion. Separate infrastructure.

**Q: Why does Copilot Chat work but suggestions don't?**  
A: They're separate services. Chat backend independent from inline completion API.

**Q: Can corporate firewalls block Copilot?**  
A: Yes. Copilot requires `copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com` on port 443 with WebSocket support. Ask IT to whitelist.

**Q: What's Copilot's actual uptime?**  
A: Based on 2025 monitoring: ~99.6% (35 hours down/year). Most outages are authentication issues, not model failures.

---

**Last updated:** February 7, 2026  
**Next review:** Monthly

[Check GitHub Copilot Status Now →](https://apistatuscheck.com)