After changing your GitHub Copilot subscription from a free trial to a paid plan or switching between Individual, Business, or Enterprise tiers, the extension may fail to activate in Visual Studio Code or JetBrains. This happens because the local authentication token cached by the IDE no longer matches the updated subscription scope. The activation endpoint returns a 403 or silent failure when the token does not reflect the new plan. This article explains the root cause of the activation failure and provides a step-by-step fix that forces the IDE to request a fresh token from GitHub.
Key Takeaways: Why GitHub Copilot Activation Fails After a Subscription Change
- GitHub Copilot extension > Sign out and sign in again: Forces the IDE to discard the old token and request a new one that matches the updated subscription.
- VS Code command palette > Developer: Reload Window: Clears cached authentication state without reinstalling the extension.
- GitHub Settings > Copilot > Plans and usage: Verify the active subscription tier and check for pending payment or billing issues.
Why GitHub Copilot Stops Working After a Subscription Change
GitHub Copilot authenticates through an OAuth token that is issued when you first sign in within your IDE. That token contains a claim that indicates the subscription tier you had at the moment of authentication. When you change your subscription, the token remains unchanged in the IDE cache. The Copilot backend sees the old token and compares it with the new subscription record. If the token’s tier does not match the current plan, the backend denies activation.
This mismatch can occur in several scenarios:
- Downgrading from a paid plan to the free tier while a token from the paid plan is still cached.
- Upgrading from a trial to a paid plan but the token still contains the trial scope.
- Switching from a personal account to an organization-managed account without re-authenticating.
The IDE does not automatically refresh the token when the subscription changes. You must manually trigger a new authentication handshake.
Steps to Re-Activate GitHub Copilot After a Subscription Change
The following steps apply to Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs. The process is nearly identical for both.
- Open the GitHub Copilot status menu in the IDE
In VS Code, click the Copilot icon in the bottom-right corner of the status bar. In JetBrains, click the Copilot icon in the bottom-right toolbar area. A small popup shows the current activation status. - Select Sign out from the popup menu
Click Sign out or Log out. This removes the cached token from the IDE session but does not delete it from the local file system yet. - Open the command palette and run the reload command
In VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P, type Developer: Reload Window, and press Enter. In JetBrains, go to File > Invalidate Caches and Restart, select Clear file system cache and Local History, then click Invalidate and Restart. This clears all cached authentication data. - Sign in to GitHub Copilot again
After the IDE reloads, click the Copilot icon again and select Sign in. Your browser opens a GitHub authorization page. Confirm the access request. The IDE now receives a fresh token that matches your current subscription tier. - Verify activation in the Copilot status menu
The status icon should show a checkmark or active indicator. In VS Code, the status bar reads Copilot: Active. In JetBrains, the Copilot tool window shows Subscription: Active with your plan name.
If Copilot Still Won’t Activate After the Main Fix
Copilot status shows Active but no suggestions appear
This indicates the token is valid but the extension is not receiving the correct context. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,), search for GitHub Copilot: Enable Auto Completions, and confirm it is checked. In JetBrains, go to Settings > Tools > GitHub Copilot and ensure Enable Copilot is selected. Restart the IDE after changing this setting.
Copilot shows a 403 Forbidden error in the output log
A 403 error means the token is rejected by the backend. This usually happens when the subscription change has not propagated to GitHub’s authorization servers. Wait 15 minutes, then repeat the sign-out and sign-in process. If the error persists, check your billing status at github.com/settings/billing. A failed payment or canceled plan blocks all Copilot requests.
Copilot activation in JetBrains fails silently
JetBrains IDEs sometimes cache the token in a system-level credential store that the sign-out command does not clear. Open the Credential Manager on Windows or Keychain Access on macOS. Delete any entry that contains copilot in the name. Then restart the IDE and sign in again.
GitHub Copilot Subscription Tiers: Comparison of Activation Behavior
| Item | GitHub Copilot Free | GitHub Copilot Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Suggested completions per month | 2,000 | Unlimited |
| Chat interactions per month | 50 | Unlimited |
| IDE support | VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Azure Data Studio | Same as Free plus GitHub Mobile |
| Token refresh after subscription change | Manual sign-out required | Manual sign-out required |
| Billing requirement | No payment method needed | Active payment method required |
After you complete the sign-out and sign-in procedure, Copilot should activate immediately. If you manage multiple GitHub accounts, ensure you are signed into the correct account in your browser before authorizing the IDE. Open the GitHub account switcher in the top-right corner of github.com and confirm the account with the active Copilot subscription is selected.
For enterprise-managed accounts, the organization owner must grant Copilot access through GitHub Settings > Organization > Copilot. Individual users cannot activate Copilot under an enterprise plan until the owner assigns a seat. After the seat is assigned, follow the same sign-out and sign-in steps to refresh the token.