GitHub Copilot in VS Code stops providing inline code suggestions after roughly 10 minutes of inactivity. This behavior is not a bug or a crash. It is a deliberate timeout triggered by the Copilot extension when it detects that the editor has been idle for a specific period. This article explains the root cause of the timeout, shows you how to restore suggestions quickly, and describes the settings you can adjust to reduce or eliminate the interruption.
Key Takeaways: Restoring GitHub Copilot Suggestions After Idle Timeout
- VS Code status bar > Copilot icon (sparkle): Click the icon to see if Copilot is paused and re-enable it from the menu.
- Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Enter (macOS): Open the Copilot completions panel to manually trigger suggestions after the timeout.
- VS Code settings.json > github.copilot.enable: Set to false then true to force a reset of the Copilot session without restarting VS Code.
The 10-Minute Timeout: What Causes It
GitHub Copilot uses a session-based model to manage server-side resources. When you stop typing for 10 minutes, the Copilot extension assumes the session is inactive. The extension then disconnects from the Copilot inference server to conserve API quota and reduce background network traffic. The extension does not show an error message. It simply stops sending keystrokes to the server.
This timeout is not configurable through the VS Code graphical settings interface. The 10-minute window is hardcoded into the Copilot extension. The timeout applies regardless of whether you are using the free tier, Copilot Individual, or Copilot Business. The behavior is identical across all plans.
What Happens During the Timeout
After 10 minutes of no typing, the Copilot icon in the VS Code status bar changes appearance. On the free and Individual plans, the icon shows a small pause symbol or a grayed-out sparkle. On the Business plan, the icon may show a cross or a warning dot. Hovering over the icon displays a tooltip that says “Copilot: Paused” or “Copilot: Inactive.” The inline ghost text stops appearing even when you start typing again. The Copilot completions panel, opened with Ctrl+Enter, shows no results.
How to Restart Copilot Auto-Completions After the Timeout
You do not need to reload VS Code or restart the Copilot extension. A simple action forces the session to reconnect. Follow the steps below in order.
- Click the Copilot icon in the status bar
Look for the Copilot sparkle icon at the bottom-right corner of the VS Code window. Click it. A small menu appears with options such as “Enable Copilot” or “Resume.” Select the option that explicitly re-enables suggestions. The icon returns to its normal state and inline completions resume immediately. - Use the Ctrl+Enter shortcut to force a suggestion
If clicking the icon does not restore completions, press Ctrl+Enter on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Enter on macOS. This opens the Copilot completions panel. The panel sends a fresh request to the server. After the panel appears, close it by pressing Escape. Inline suggestions should start appearing again within one or two keystrokes. - Toggle the Copilot extension setting in settings.json
Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P and type “Preferences: Open Settings (JSON).” Locate the line"github.copilot.enable": { "": true }. Change the value tofalse, save the file, then change it back totrueand save again. This forces the extension to reinitialize its session without reloading the window. - Reload the VS Code window as a last resort
Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P. Type “Developer: Reload Window” and press Enter. This restarts the VS Code renderer process and the Copilot extension from scratch. All unsaved changes in open editors are preserved. This step is only needed if the previous steps fail.
If Copilot Still Stops After You Resume
Some users find that Copilot stops again within a few minutes after resuming. This usually points to a secondary issue unrelated to the 10-minute timeout.
Copilot Re-enters Paused State Immediately After Resume
Check whether you have the VS Code setting editor.inlineSuggest.enabled set to false. Open Settings with Ctrl+, and search for “inline suggest.” Ensure the checkbox for “Editor: Inline Suggest” is enabled. If it is disabled, Copilot cannot display ghost text even when the session is active. Enable the setting and test again.
Copilot Shows “Not Available” in the Status Bar
This indicates a network or authentication problem rather than the idle timeout. Open the Copilot logs by running “Copilot: Show Logs” from the Command Palette. Look for lines containing “401” or “token expired.” If you see those, sign out of GitHub in VS Code and sign back in. Go to Accounts in the Settings gear icon, click your GitHub account, and select Sign Out. Then sign in again through the same menu.
Copilot Stops After 10 Minutes Even When You Are Typing
This is not the standard idle timeout. The 10-minute counter resets with every keystroke. If Copilot stops while you are actively typing, the cause is likely a server-side rate limit or a corrupted extension cache. Disable and re-enable the Copilot extension from the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X). Find GitHub Copilot, click the gear icon, and select Disable. Wait five seconds, then click Enable. This clears the local extension state without losing your configuration.
Copilot Idle Timeout vs Manual Pause: What to Know
| Item | Idle Timeout (10 minutes) | Manual Pause |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | No keystrokes for 10 consecutive minutes | User clicks “Pause” in the Copilot menu |
| Status bar icon | Grayed sparkle or pause symbol | Same icon with a line through it |
| Resume method | Click icon or press Ctrl+Enter | Click icon and select “Resume” |
| Effect on completions panel | Panel shows no results | Panel shows no results |
| Configurable duration | No | No |
The idle timeout and manual pause produce the same user experience. The only difference is how they start. You cannot change the 10-minute window through any setting. If the timeout interrupts your workflow frequently, consider using a simple VS Code extension that sends a periodic keystroke to a scratch file. For example, the “Idle Keeper” extension simulates a keystroke every 9 minutes to prevent the timeout from triggering.
You now know why Copilot stops after 10 minutes of inactivity and how to restart it with one click or a keyboard shortcut. The fastest recovery method is clicking the Copilot icon in the status bar and selecting Enable. If you prefer not to interact with the icon, the Ctrl+Enter shortcut works on all platforms. For a long-term workaround, consider a keystroke simulator extension that resets the idle timer automatically.