How to Reset GitHub Copilot Local Cache in VS Code

GitHub Copilot in VS Code stores a local cache of suggestions, authentication tokens, and model data to speed up responses. Over time, this cache can become corrupted or outdated, causing Copilot to suggest irrelevant code snippets, fail to activate, or return errors like “GitHub Copilot could not connect.” Resetting the local cache forces Copilot to rebuild its suggestion index and re-authenticate with the GitHub server.

This article explains what the local cache is, why it needs resetting, and how to delete it step by step in VS Code on Windows, macOS, and Linux. You will also learn how to clear the cache without uninstalling the extension and how to verify that the reset worked.

What the GitHub Copilot Local Cache Stores and Why It Fails

The GitHub Copilot extension for VS Code maintains a local cache to reduce network requests and speed up suggestion generation. This cache includes:

• Authentication tokens: Your GitHub login session and token so you do not have to sign in every time you open VS Code.
• Model context: Recently seen code snippets and file context that Copilot uses to generate relevant suggestions.
• Extension state: Configuration settings, enabled/disabled state, and last-used language models.

The cache can become corrupted when VS Code updates, when the Copilot extension updates, or when your GitHub token expires. A corrupted cache causes Copilot to stop responding, suggest outdated code, or fail to load entirely. Resetting the cache forces Copilot to discard all stored data and download fresh model context and authentication tokens from the server.

Steps to Reset the GitHub Copilot Local Cache in VS Code

You can reset the cache using three methods. Use the first method if Copilot is still partially working. Use the second method if Copilot is completely unresponsive. Use the third method if you want a clean slate without affecting other extensions.

Method 1: Use the Developer: Reload Window Command

This method clears the in-memory cache and reloads all extensions without deleting any files.

1. Open the command palette
   Press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS.
2. Run the Reload Window command
   Type Developer: Reload Window in the command palette and press Enter.
3. Wait for VS Code to reload
   VS Code closes and reopens all windows and extensions. The Copilot status icon in the bottom-right corner should turn green.

Method 2: Delete the Copilot Cache Folder Manually

This method removes all cached suggestion data and forces Copilot to rebuild its suggestion index from scratch.

1. Close VS Code completely
   Exit VS Code to prevent file locks on the cache folder.
2. Open the cache folder location
   On Windows, open File Explorer and paste %APPDATA%\Code\CachedData\ into the address bar. On macOS, open Finder and press Cmd+Shift+G, then paste ~/Library/Application Support/Code/CachedData/. On Linux, open your file manager and navigate to ~/.config/Code/CachedData/.
3. Delete all files and subfolders
   Select every item inside the CachedData folder and press Delete. You may need to confirm the deletion.
4. Restart VS Code
   Open VS Code. The Copilot extension will rebuild the cache automatically.

Method 3: Sign Out and Sign Back In to GitHub

This method clears the authentication token cache and forces Copilot to re-authenticate.

1. Open the Copilot status menu
   Click the Copilot icon in the bottom-right corner of the VS Code window.
2. Select Sign Out
   Choose Sign out of GitHub Copilot from the menu.
3. Sign back in
   Click the Copilot icon again and select Sign in to GitHub Copilot. A browser window opens requesting GitHub authorization. Complete the sign-in process.

If Copilot Still Has Issues After Resetting the Cache

Resetting the cache usually fixes most Copilot problems, but some issues require additional steps.

Copilot Still Shows “Not Authenticated” After Signing In

This happens when the cached token file is locked by another process. Close VS Code, delete the %APPDATA%\Code\User\globalStorage\github.copilot folder on Windows or the equivalent path on macOS and Linux, then restart VS Code and sign in again.

Copilot Suggests Code in the Wrong Language

This indicates the model context cache is stale. Use Method 2 to delete the entire CachedData folder. Then open a file in the correct language and let Copilot generate a few suggestions to rebuild the context.

Copilot Extension Does Not Load After Cache Reset

The extension itself may be disabled or corrupted. Open the Extensions view by pressing Ctrl+Shift+X, search for “GitHub Copilot”, and check that it is enabled. If it is enabled but still not loading, disable it, reload the window, then enable it again.

VS Code Reload Window vs Manual Cache Deletion: Key Differences

Item	Reload Window	Manual Cache Deletion
Scope	Clears in-memory cache only	Deletes all cached suggestion files
Effect on extensions	Reloads all extensions	Does not reload extensions automatically
Authentication tokens	Preserved	Preserved unless you delete the Copilot folder
Time to complete	10 seconds	2 minutes
When to use	Copilot is slow or not responding	Copilot suggests outdated or irrelevant code

Choose Reload Window for quick in-memory issues. Use manual cache deletion when Copilot generates stale or wrong suggestions.

You can now reset the GitHub Copilot local cache in VS Code using the Developer: Reload Window command, manual folder deletion, or sign-out method. For persistent issues, delete the github.copilot folder in the globalStorage directory to clear all authentication and state data. As an advanced tip, you can automate the manual cache deletion by creating a batch script or shell script that deletes the CachedData folder before launching VS Code.