GitHub’s advice for its new Copilot feature is to try something else first

GitHub recently introduced Copilot, an AI tool that can interact with applications on macOS and Windows, allowing agents to perform actions such as reading, clicking, typing, scrolling, and dragging. The company demonstrated its capabilities by summarizing information in a legacy application, updating a presentation, and entering data.

Developers can access Copilot from the terminal or through the Copilot app, which is available on both the CLI and desktop versions. GitHub acknowledges that there is still work to be done compared to competitors like OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code, which have had broader computer use support on macOS.

The company recommends using direct tools whenever possible, as enabling computer use in Copilot CLI activates a bundled plugin with its own MCP server. This server works in local sessions, reading application content through the operating system's accessibility tree and taking screenshots when visual context is needed. GitHub advises using direct tools wherever possible, as they typically provide more structured information and more predictable results than desktop interaction.

To enable the feature, users must activate /computer on in Copilot CLI or through the Copilot app's Computer Use settings. On macOS, Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions are required to operate controls and inspect windows when visual context is needed. The CLI session's permission mode determines whether Copilot asks before accessing an app, which developers can control with /permissions show.

Approvals saved in the CLI carry over to the desktop app on the same computer. Deny rules override both automatic and saved approvals, and removing an app from the always-allowed list clears its approval for future sessions.

Stopping work requires a separate action: pressing Esc twice in the CLI or clicking Stop or pressing Esc in the desktop app. Enterprise controls over computer use apply to the feature, with enterprise policy overriding local developer preferences. Through managed-settings.json, enterprise owners can control whether developers may bypass approval prompts across the Copilot app, CLI, and VS Code.

GitHub's default-enablement policy for Business and Enterprise does not change the opt-in status of the preview feature, which starts applying on October 22. However, the company warns that the agent may make mistakes, such as repeating actions, struggling with dynamic interfaces, or including sensitive information in its context.