Issue with GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio Code

[VincenzoLis]

Subject: Issue with GitHub Copilot Chat in Visual Studio Code

Problem Description: I'm experiencing an issue with the GitHub Copilot Chat functionality in Visual Studio Code. While inline suggestions work correctly, the chat does not function as expected. When I send a message, Copilot briefly appears to respond but then the response disappears immediately. Additionally, my name or photo icon does not appear next to the messages I send.

I am currently in the trial version of GitHub Copilot and have already provided my payment details for the subscription, which will begin in 14 days. I wonder if this issue could be related to my trial status or if it’s a technical problem.

I have already tried the following steps without success:

Uninstalling and reinstalling Visual Studio Code (I did this twice).
Signing out and signing back into my GitHub account.
Reloading the Visual Studio Code window (Reload Window).
Ensuring the "GitHub Copilot Chat" extension is installed and up to date.
Tried opening new projects or folders to check if it was a project-specific issue.
Steps to Reproduce the Issue:

Open Visual Studio Code.
Access the GitHub Copilot Chat functionality.
Send a message.
Observe that the response disappears shortly after appearing.
Additional Information:

Operating System: Windows 11
Visual Studio Code Version: [insert the exact version of VS Code]
GitHub Copilot Chat Extension Version: [insert the exact version of the extension]
I have a stable Internet connection.
I also wonder if the issue could be related to GitHub Copilot's servers.
Can you help me resolve this issue? Thank you very much!

[weyniis]

Heyy I’ve seen a few others report the same thing recently, especially when they’re still in the Copilot trial period.

The weird part where the message disappears right after sending usually happens because:

• The trial account doesn’t fully unlock the Copilot Chat backend yet
• Or there's some session/token glitch that needs a clean refresh

Here’s what I’d try if I were in your shoes:

---

✅ 1. Fully sign out and clear the Copilot Chat cache

• Close VS Code
• Go to this folder and delete it:
  %APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\github.copilot-chat
• Reopen VS Code, sign back in, and test again

---

✅ 2. Check that Copilot Chat is actually enabled

Open your VS Code settings (JSON view) and add this:

"gitHub.copilot.enableChat": true

Sometimes it’s installed but not properly switched on.

---

✅ 3. Try using a clean profile

VS Code sometimes keeps weird state per profile. Try:

• Open Command Palette → “Profiles: Create Empty Profile”
• Switch to that new profile and re-enable Copilot Chat
• Test again in a fresh window

---

⚠️ Also worth noting: if your subscription hasn’t officially kicked in (still in trial), there’s a chance the backend doesn’t activate all features immediately. Some users said it started working only after the payment phase began.

If none of this works, best to ping GitHub support directly here:
https://support.github.com/contact

Hope this helps! Let me know if u want help testing further

[Tamaerus]

https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/156686#discussioncomment-13052735

[allweyer]

Had the same problem. Proposal 1 - clearing the Copilot Chat cache worked for me. Thanks!

[ErikPlachta]

✅ 1. Fully sign out and clear the Copilot Chat cache

• Close VS Code
• Go to this folder and delete it:
  %APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\github.copilot-chat
• Reopen VS Code, sign back in, and test again

This worked for me!

[Tamaerus]

I have an issue with Copilot VSC extension on free monthly limit automatically assuming I've used all my free monthly limit because it was open at the time of reset. It literally went from "will reset on May 4th" to "will reset on June 4th" and I haven't even used it yet. I suppose it probably read the old stale data and registered that I'd already used my free allotment for the month even though it literally just began. Should this process you described resolve it or will I have to find some way to get ahold of like a customer service person? Because that's just ridiculous -_- and I can't imagine I'm literally the only one who's ever dealt with that. There's like no boinking way in the 2 days I haven't used it that I could have used all the credit that during last month had lasted me three weeks.

[ghostinhershell]

Hi @VincenzoLis,

Thanks so much for reaching out in our community. Even though this post does belong in the New to Github category I do think that you would be more likely to get a helpful response if I re-categorize this into the Copilot Conversations category. I'll go ahead and move this over now.

[Plangfromwow]

I'm having a similar issue with mine as well. When I try and use the chat I'm getting asked to login to my Github Enterprise account (which I do not have). When I click the "Sign in with Github" button below nothing happens, but I do get a timeout in the output window.

If I go into the "Configure Code Completions" and try to sign in with github I get the below result in the Github Copilot output window:

result: {
reason: 'NotSignedIn',
message: 'Timed out waiting for authentication provider to register'
},

It seems to be an issue with the profile data itself since it's happening on all of my computers that are using the profile. If I swap profile I have no issues using the chat.

[potat0ka]

The disappearing Copilot Chat responses may be due to a trial-related backend delay or session glitch.

• Ensure VS Code and the Copilot Chat extension are updated (Extensions > GitHub Copilot Chat > Check for Updates).
• Sign out (Accounts menu > Sign out), restart VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P > Developer: Reload Window), and sign in again.
• Create a new VS Code profile (Ctrl+Shift+P > Profiles: Create Empty Profile) and enable Copilot Chat.
• Check GitHub’s Status page for server issues.