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GitHub Copilot: Connected Cloud Experience and Cloud Sandboxes Now Generally Available

GitHub CopilotView original changelog

GitHub made the connected Copilot cloud experience and cloud sandboxes generally available on paid plans, so a session started on github.com, GitHub Mobile, Copilot CLI, the Copilot app, VS Code, Slack or Microsoft Teams can be resumed from any other surface. Every session now runs in a secure, resumable cloud sandbox with no one-hour limit on total running time. The included Actions entitlement becomes one shared, dollar-based compute pool covering builds, sandboxes and larger runners, and sandbox billing begins in November 2026.

Key Takeaways

  • One session follows the developer across web, mobile, app, CLI, VS Code, Slack and Teams, with every surface showing the same session list.
  • Every cloud session now runs in a secure, snapshot-backed sandbox with no one-hour cap on total running time, and it can be resumed from any surface.
  • The Actions entitlement becomes one shared dollar-based pool for builds, cloud sandboxes and, on Team and Enterprise Cloud, larger runners.
  • Sandbox billing starts in November 2026, drawing first from the included entitlement, so heavy users should check budgets now.
  • GitHub Mobile can start tasks by voice or screenshot and can steer local CLI or VS Code sessions registered through GitHub Mission Control.
  • Cloud sessions carry the same tools as the CLI and app, plus connectors, skills and permission controls, so work does not depend on local compute.

One Copilot session across every surface

GitHub turned Copilot in the cloud into a single connected experience. A cloud task can be started on github.com, GitHub Mobile, the Copilot CLI, the Copilot app, VS Code, or directly from a conversation in Slack or Microsoft Teams, and then picked up on whichever surface comes next. Every surface shows the same session list, so a change begun on a phone with a voice description or a screenshot can be continued on the web and finished in the Copilot app, VS Code or the CLI. The new cloud experience and cloud sandboxes are both generally available on paid Copilot plans.

Start anywhere, describe the task your way

On github.com and GitHub Mobile, developers can chat and kick off code changes in the same conversation, using the same workflow as Copilot Chat and the Copilot coding agent. A question can span multiple repositories in an organization, or a single repository can be chosen for a code change. In Slack or Teams, mentioning @GitHub creates an issue, requests a code change or investigates a bug, and Copilot can use messages and threads as context.

On GitHub Mobile, tasks can be described by voice or by attaching an image or file, and a redesigned Copilot tab lets a new agent session start from any pull request, issue or repository. On the web, repositories, Copilot Spaces or files can be attached with the plus menu or by typing @. When Copilot is opened over a pull request, file or repository, that page is added as context automatically, and pins sync across web and mobile. Local sessions can also be steered from a phone: a local device registered through GitHub Mission Control as an environment in the Copilot CLI or VS Code can be started and steered with GitHub Mobile on iOS and Android.

Tools, connectors and skills in the cloud

Cloud sessions have the same tools as the Copilot CLI and the Copilot app. Bash and the GitHub CLI work alongside code search for everyday tasks such as tracing a bug to a specific pull request or bulk-moving issues between epics. Built-in connectors bring in context from services like Sentry, Linear and Cloudflare, set up once in the Customize menu and reused in every cloud session, and custom local or remote MCP servers that need key-based authentication can also be configured. Agent skills teach Copilot repeatable workflows, slash commands such as /rubber-duck and /context now work on github.com and GitHub Mobile, and a permissions setting controls how much autonomy the agent has, with Copilot asking before any tool call that requires approval.

Secure cloud sandboxes

By default, every session runs in a cloud sandbox, a secure and isolated environment on GitHub-managed infrastructure that is separate from the developer's machine. Sandboxes start fast and have no one-hour limit on total running session time. When a sandbox shuts down it saves a snapshot, so the session can resume later from any surface. Teams that use Actions-based self-hosted runners or copilot-setup-steps.yml still need Actions as the session environment, and developers can register their own computer or VM as an environment by running the Copilot CLI with the --environment-host flag.

A flexible compute entitlement

The included Actions compute entitlement is now a single, dollar-based pool instead of a fixed number of standard runner minutes. It covers standard GitHub-hosted runners, cloud sandboxes, and, on Team and Enterprise Cloud, larger hosted runners. Usage is deducted at each product's published rate, so higher-rate compute uses the entitlement faster, and the pool resets at the start of each billing cycle. Usage beyond it follows existing rates, budgets and payment settings. The change applies to GitHub Free, Pro, Free for organizations, Team and Enterprise Cloud. Billing for cloud sandbox usage begins in November 2026 and draws from this entitlement first.

Access and permissions

Administrators manage access to the cloud experience through the "Copilot in the cloud" setting and the usual organization and enterprise policies.