Copilot Inline Suggestions block IntelliSense suggestions to automatically pop up when pressing letters

[iArxic]

EDIT from @alexdima , project maintainer: Starting with 1.121.0, we have changed that the suggest widget does not automatically pop up when typing letters. Please see full rationale below, but in short we found that the majority of users are faster and manage to create more code that is retained with fewer keystrokes. With the change, the suggest widget still pops up on trigger characters, like . in TS or JS, etc or when manually invoked via ctrl+space. Nothing has been removed, the previous behavior of automatically popping up the suggest widget is still available, but it is not the default. I apologize if this has caused hassle to you and I realize that the previous behavior was preferable to a subset of users. If you want the previous behavior, just take 10 seconds and configure:

"editor.quickSuggestions": {
  "other": "on", // (new default is "offWhenInlineCompletions")
  "comments": "off",
  "strings": "off"
}

---

Type: Bug

Since the most recent update, I am unable to get IntelliSense without having Inline Suggestions disabled. I looked inside the settings and tried tweaking all sorts of values and I was unable to get the behavior that existed prior.

I can confirm disabling Inline Suggestions completely fixes this broken. I found there are 2 new settings for the copilot modal but I cannot enable Next Edit suggestions without "Ghost text suggestions" enabled. (Which I believe is the setting that causes this issue.)

I tried disabling all extensions and this issue has persisted for me.

1. Enable Inline Suggestions
2. No more IntelliSense

I am not able to enable inline suggestions without ghosting text suggestions. (Next edit suggestions button is greyed out.)

My copilot usage is at 100% however this has still worked before.

---

EDIT 1: I was able to resolve this issue by pasting in specific settings

{
 "editor.quickSuggestions": {
    "other": true,
    "comments": false,
    "strings": false,
  },

  "editor.suggestOnTriggerCharacters": true,
  "editor.inlineSuggest.enabled": true,
  "editor.suggest.showWords": true,
  "editor.suggest.preview": true,
"github.copilot.nextEditSuggestions.enabled": true,
}

I contacted my other friends regarding this, and the same thing happened to them also, with the same fix (changing the settings). Important to mention, that to one this has happened 3 weeks ago, therefore it is most likely not an issue with the most recent release but something else.

---

EDIT 2:
I believe this could be the reason this behavior happens:

No suggestions are probably not the intended effect. It's like having VSCode entirely without IntelliSense.

VS Code version: Code 1.121.0 (f6cfa2e, 2026-05-19T11:51:53+02:00)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.19045
Modes:

Extensions (39)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
claude-code	Ant	2.1.145
markdown-mermaid	bie	1.32.1
vscode-eslint	dba	3.0.24
argon	Der	2.0.20
verde	Dvi	0.2.13
gitlens	eam	17.12.2
EditorConfig	Edi	0.18.2
prettier-vscode	esb	12.4.0
auto-rename-tag	for	0.1.10
vscode-github-actions	git	0.31.5
vscode-pull-request-github	Git	0.146.0
json2ts	Gre	0.0.6
bootstrap-intellisense	hos	3.0.5
discord-vscode	icr	5.9.2
luau-lsp	Joh	1.68.0
stylua	Joh	1.7.2
vscode-mermaid-chart	Mer	2.6.6
vscode-dotnet-runtime	ms-	3.0.2
debugpy	ms-	2026.6.0
isort	ms-	2026.4.0
python	ms-	2026.4.0
vscode-pylance	ms-	2026.2.1
vscode-python-envs	ms-	1.30.0
live-server	ms-	0.4.19
powershell	ms-	2025.4.0
vscode-chat-customizations-evaluations	ms-	1.0.3
vscode-typescript-next	ms-	6.0.20260416
color-highlight	nau	2.8.0
robloxlsp	Nig	1.6.8
batch-runner	Nil	1.4.0
pixel-agents	pab	1.3.0
LiveServer	rit	5.7.10
glassit	s-n	0.2.6
markdown-preview-enhanced	shd	0.8.26
code-spell-checker	str	4.5.6
vscode-stylelint	sty	2.2.1
pdf	tom	1.2.2
roblox-material-icon-theme	unt	1.0.2
context7-mcp	Ups	1.0.1

A/B Experiments

vsliv368:30146709
binariesv615:30325510
nativeloc1:31344060
dwcopilot:31170013
dwoutputs:31242946
copilot_t_ci:31333650
e5gg6876:31282496
pythonrdcb7:31342333
6518g693:31463988
aj953862:31281341
6abeh943:31336334
envsactivate1:31505457
cloudbuttont:31379625
3efgi100_wstrepl:31403338
ec5jj548:31422691
cp_cls_t_966_ss:31454198
inlinechat_v2_hd992725:31505030
4je02754:31466945
8hhj4413:31478653
ge8j1254_inline_auto_hint_haiku:31490510
38bie571_auto:31478678
cp_cls_t_1081:31454832
conptydll_true:31498968
ia-use-proxy-models-svc:31452481
e9c30283:31461165
test_treatment2:31471001
c9b86496:31447327
control_6dc23131:31513471
idci7584:31464702
e3e4d672:31494082
ei9d7968:31496641
nes-extended-on:31455476
chat:31457767
8hig5102:31480529
89g7j272:31518289
7e187181:31503455
i2gc6536:31499202
52612955:31516516
ghj88844:31499326
ddid_c:31478207
hmra_i5g22:31518061
getcmakediagnosticson:31489824
7df3h592:31512476
pro_large_t:31499376
cp_cls_t_1082:31516087
logging_enabled_new:31498466
db5d2638:31499441
jb_cp_cls_t_632:31517841
56dj4588:31512888
cg448276_tst_on:31514358
32d76977:31512328
ha629193:31508444
539gd155_c:31506875
jh5f2457_c:31515489
prpt_lrg:31518466
61138546:31518536

[alexdima]

👋 I am very sorry about the hassle this change I did in the defaults caused you. But please see the rationale below. When you prefer the previous default behavior, please configure:

"editor.quickSuggestions": {
  "other": "on", // (new default is "offWhenInlineCompletions")
  "comments": "off",
  "strings": "off"
}

I have tried my best to document the behavior change in the 1.121 Release Notes and I'd like to also share that for the vast majority of users, these new defaults -- avoid popping up the classic suggest widget -- leads to highly significant improvements in terms of reducing necessary keystrokes to produce a certain length of code and increasing speed of writing code.

Please also see here (#316899) a concrete example I recorded of the previous behavior where the suggest widget would cause more harm than good. Note how the suggest widget selects random global symbols available in that scope instead of something more sensible like const:

Screen.Recording.2026-05-17.at.21.43.48.mov

And after:

Screen.Recording.2026-05-17.at.21.48.40.mov

I acknowledge that having defaults change is super annoying and please accept my sincere apologies, but I need to help keep vscode as modern as possible and making folks as productive as possible when the data clearly shows it.

[virtuallyunknown]

I understand the reason behind this change, but it seems way too drastic given how VSCode has functioned for probably the entirety of its existence. It also subtly implies that AI features are more important than core editor features, since they take priority (kinda). Earlier today when I noticed the issue, my initial thought was that one of my extensions/linters broke.

In my opinion, user feedback should have been requested about this first (if it wasn't), and the feature should have been a configurable one rather than taking over the defaults, which again, have been the same ones for ages.

I don't mean to be disrespectful here, just providing my personal opinion.

[iArxic]

👋 @alexdima I appreciate the follow-up on this issue!

Indeed, this was documented, and I later found it in the release notes.

However, I'd like to point out that IntelliSense is extremely useful and, for some users like me, basically a necessity. I thought disabling the "ghost text suggestions" button would fix the issue with IntelliSense (?), which disabled Copilot suggestions completely. I believe a good update for the future is adding a button there specifically for that behavior (as @virtuallyunknown suggested), and perhaps removing it from the defaults.

I spent weeks getting the IntelliSense working to the point where it works now for my workflow, and that itself saves me an insane amount of time, and it's the reason I use VSCode.

As far as I understand this, for example, with your "const" "console" example, could it be made so that Copilot ignores what is selected instead of having to disable it completely? Ignoring what is selected and having IntelliSense would still probably result in the behavior you are looking for.

[alexdima]

Thank you for your feedback!

It also subtly implies that AI features are more important than core editor features, since they take priority (kinda)

No, I'm not a fan of slop at all or AI at all cost at all. This setting change accelerates typing speed, i.e. people write more code with less keystrokes / faster when this new default setting is configured. We have found this via A/B testing. The fundamental purpose of the suggest widget is to suggest text to accelerate typing speed. With this default setting change, the suggest widget doesn't go away. It still pops up on trigger characters (e.g. when pressing . in TS/JS i.e. member completion) or when invoked manually. It just doesn't pop up by itself when typing at a new position. There is no monetary befit (cheaper inference), nor advertising reasons, the metrics show that folks are faster.

the feature should have been a configurable one rather than taking over the defaults, which again, have been the same ones for ages.

This is absolutely configurable! The old behavior can be obtained via the configuration I shared above and in the release notes. I strongly believe in allowing your editor to be your own! That's why, for example, each and every keybinding in vscode is configurable. If you don't like Escape, you can configure A to be your new Escape key :). But I had to respect what the data unequivocally is telling us, that people are faster with this new default setting. That is why I switched over the default. I absolutely appreciate that this is annoying and a breaking change for long time folks who are accustomed to the suggest widget popping up, so please tweak the setting back to match your preferred behavior. The only message from my side, is that the vast majority of users are more productive with this new setting value, if you don't like it, you don't have to take it, simply tweak your setting.

However, I'd like to point out that IntelliSense is extremely useful and, for some users like me, basically a necessity.

I 100% agree! We have not removed IntelliSense at all. It just doesn't pop up when you start typing word characters (A-Z, 0-9, etc) in a new location. It pops up by itself when doing member completions (trigger characters defined by each language) and when you manually trigger it. It can also be reconfigured to pop up as it used to. Nothing is being removed, just the default setting is changed.

As far as I understand this, for example, with your "const" "console" example, could it be made so that Copilot ignores what is selected instead of having to disable it completely? Ignoring what is selected and having IntelliSense would still probably result in the behavior you are looking for.

That is what we had a long time ago. We even went so far to not show inline suggestions when the suggest widget would pop up. But the models have improved so much from the era of July 2021 that the data shows it is much better for the average person to get Copilot suggestions than the suggest widget popping up and selecting the first alphabetical match from the global symbol list. We constantly keep tweaking and learning, we will keep exploring in this area and try to make folks as happy and as productive as possible.

[virtuallyunknown]

You did a great job documenting the process of restoring back the old behavior in the release notes, no objections about that. But my argument wasn't that you can't restore it back, or that you can't make the editor feel like your own, or that you had some malicious intents.

I just think that such an aggressive change to the editor defaults should (or should have been) a subject to user feedback first, that's all. You are saying that you have extensive metrics on the subject, and I don't question that, but sometimes data doesn't tell the full story and it's good to reach to the people using the product for direct feedback. Personally I haven't encountered the problem you describe, but maybe my workflow and habits are just different.

Either way, no drama here, and I appreciate the thorough response. I just wanted to provide some feedback, which coincidentally is to ask for more community feedback in the future.

All the best.

[alexdima]

Thank you! I'm sorry I don't have all the context because this work was done by Johannes (I just flipped the default once he passed in over), but it's been going for a while:

• Experiment with disabling quick suggestion in favour of ghost text #293443
  • Add offWhenInlineCompletions value and string shorthand for editor.quickSuggestions #293825
• [Insiders] Suggestion cannot be triggered by just typing (aka quickSuggest) #297224 (comment)
  • Enhance quick suggestions with inline completions #300371

[banguilin]

Using AI inline suggestions may allow faster input, but they are also less controllable. AI-generated content still requires reading and judgment, while IntelliSense suggestions are deterministic — once selected, the developer knows exactly what will be inserted.

Of course, this reflects my personal workflow. I don’t know if your telemetry reports confidence levels in code completion, but I feel the previous coexistence mode was better: IntelliSense suggestions and AI ghost text could appear together. Pressing Tab would accept the AI suggestion, while pressing Enter would confirm the IntelliSense suggestion.