Visual Studio added a commit-to-working-tree comparison. It also added bulk merge conflict resolution. A new Copilot chat experience launched. Hot Exit now preserves unsaved work between sessions. Keyboard shortcuts for tab reordering were introduced. The Fonts and Colors settings page was refreshed. The update is available in the Stable Channel now. The new Copilot chat requires opt-in. Hot Exit is off by default. Tab reordering does not work with alphabetical sorting.
What changed
Commits could only be compared to other commits, not the working tree. Merge conflicts required individual file resolution. Unsaved work was lost on close. Tabs required mouse reordering. Fonts and Colors used a legacy settings page.
What it unlocks
Compare any commit directly to the current working tree. Resolve merge conflicts across multiple files at once. Preserve unsaved work between sessions. Reorder tabs with keyboard shortcuts. Customize editor appearance with a refreshed Fonts and Colors page.
What you need to act on it
- Visual Studio 2026 Stable Channel
- GitHub Copilot Chat enabled for new experience
- Hot Exit enabled in settings
Sources