GitHub puts Copilot computer use in public preview

GitHub dated its announcement October 1, 2026, and said Copilot can interact with desktop applications through computer use.[1] The feature is in public preview in Copilot CLI and the GitHub Copilot app for macOS and Windows.[1] GitHub describes the capability as extending Copilot automation to legacy and GUI-only software, including programs that have no API, command-line interface or MCP integration.[1]

GitHub says Copilot can read accessible app content and visual context, then click controls, enter or edit text, press keys, scroll and drag.[1] It can also navigate workflows across applications.[1] GitHub’s examples include summarizing browser notifications, updating presentation content and moving information through a desktop-application workflow.[1] To request a task, GitHub advises describing the desired outcome, the applications involved and any important constraints.[1] For work teams considering the preview, that guidance suggests spelling out the intended result and boundaries rather than simply naming a sequence of clicks.

GitHub says Copilot asks for approval before controlling an app.[1] Users can review or reset apps they have chosen to always allow, and organization-managed settings can disable computer use.[1] On macOS, setup guides users through granting Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions.[1] In Copilot CLI, users can enable the feature with `/computer on`, check its status with `/computer show`, or disable it with `/computer off`.[1] In the Copilot app, users can enable it through Settings, Computer Use and the Enable Computer Use toggle; GitHub also says `/computer on` works there.[1]

The announcement establishes a public-preview rollout for Copilot CLI and the Copilot app on macOS and Windows, but it does not list a price or subscription tier.[1][2] It also gives no general availability date, and Technobezz reported that Linux support was not mentioned.[2] Those gaps matter when teams are deciding whether to pilot the feature across a mixed operating environment or budget for wider use. Jeremy Longworth described computer use as a capability that needs control.[3]