Microsoft has launched a public preview of the GitHub Copilot upgrade for C++. The company previewed C++ code editing tools for GitHub Copilot in December. Both previews are available through the Visual Studio 2026 Insiders channel.
GitHub Copilot for C++ Modernization helps developers upgrade C++ projects to newer versions of MSVC Build Tools. A public preview was announced on January 27. C++ Application Modernization was previously available in a private release in November with the launch of the Visual Studio 2026 development environment. After receiving feedback from private preview participants, Microsoft added support for CMake projects, reduced hallucinations, removed several critical crashes, and improved Copilot’s behavior when an internal compiler error occurs. Microsoft has also strengthened Copilot’s understanding of when project files need to be modified to perform an upgrade.
By modernizing C++ applications, GitHub Copilot can reduce the cost of adopting newer versions of MSVC, Microsoft said. GitHub Copilot first examines the project to see if it can update its settings to use the latest version of MSVC. Microsoft described the three-step process of evaluation, planning, and execution that GitHub Copilot follows when upgrading applications. After updating the project settings, Copilot will perform an initial build to assess whether any issues are blocking the update. After confirming the accuracy of the rating with the user, Copilot will suggest solutions to any issues that need to be addressed. Once the user approves the plan, the agent completes the task sequence and verifies that its changes address the identified issues. If there is work left to do, the agent continues to iterate until the issues are resolved or the conversation is terminated.