VS Code 1.146 adds Inbox Mode, Model Comparison and Chat Windows

Microsoft released Visual Studio Code version 1.146 on November 11, 2026, reworking how developers manage multi-agent, multi-model Copilot sessions inside the editor, according to Visual Studio Code 1.146.

What's new in version 1.146

• Inbox Mode (experimental) groups agent sessions across workspaces into categories such as Working, Ready to merge, and Done.
• Model Comparison (preview) runs the same prompt across multiple models with judge based evaluation and synthesis, including an evaluation of Copilot Fusion.
• Chat Windows (preview) let developers pop chat sessions into separate windows alongside editors and terminals.
• An experimental feature lets developers discover, install, and manage extensions directly from the Agents window.
• Experimental inline Fix Checks and Address Comments actions now appear in the Agents sessions list.

What it means for builders

VS Code's default agent harness switch and its new multi-model, multi-session management tools change the daily workflow for the large population of developers running AI coding agents inside the editor. The inbox-style triage view and cross-model comparison give teams running several agent sessions at once a way to see what is done, what still needs review, and which model produced the best result without leaving the editor.

Harness change and timeline

The Local harness is now deprecated and will be removed in February 2027, with the Copilot harness serving as the default for new sessions. Diagram rendering in Copilot Chat also moves to Mermaid 12, which introduces new diagram types.

Sources

• Visual Studio Code 1.146 (Microsoft, November 11, 2026, official)

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