GitHub Copilot stopped suggesting code, shows a spinning icon, or the chat panel is empty. Here are the fixes.

Fix 1: Check subscription status

The most common cause — your subscription expired or payment failed:

1. Go to github.com/settings/copilot
2. Verify your subscription is active
3. Check payment method is valid

Free tier users: Copilot Free has limited completions per month. If you’ve hit the limit, suggestions stop until the next billing cycle.

Fix 2: Re-authenticate

VS Code: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "GitHub Copilot: Sign Out"
Then: "GitHub Copilot: Sign In"

For JetBrains: Settings → Tools → GitHub Copilot → Sign Out → Sign In

Fix 3: Check the Copilot icon

Look at the bottom-right status bar in VS Code:

Icon	Meaning	Fix
✅ Copilot icon (normal)	Working	No fix needed
⚠️ Copilot icon with warning	Partially working	Check output panel
❌ Copilot icon crossed out	Disabled for this file	Check language settings
🔄 Spinning	Processing	Wait, or restart
No icon	Extension not loaded	Reinstall extension

Fix 4: Enable for your language

Copilot might be disabled for specific file types:

// VS Code settings.json
{
  "github.copilot.enable": {
    "*": true,
    "markdown": true,
    "plaintext": true,
    "yaml": true
  }
}

Fix 5: Check output panel for errors

View → Output → Select "GitHub Copilot" from dropdown

Common errors:

• 401 Unauthorized → re-authenticate (Fix 2)
• Network error → check internet, proxy settings
• Rate limited → wait a few minutes

Fix 6: Extension version conflict

# Disable and re-enable
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Extensions: Disable All Extensions"
# Re-enable only GitHub Copilot
# Test if it works
# Re-enable other extensions one by one

Known conflicts: other AI extensions (Continue.dev, Cody, Tabnine), some language servers.

Fix 7: Proxy/firewall issues

If you’re behind a corporate proxy:

// VS Code settings.json
{
  "http.proxy": "http://proxy.company.com:8080",
  "github.copilot.advanced": {
    "authProvider": "github"
  }
}

Copilot needs access to api.github.com and copilot-proxy.githubusercontent.com.

Fix 8: Chat not working

Copilot Chat is a separate feature from autocomplete:

1. Make sure you have the “GitHub Copilot Chat” extension installed (separate from “GitHub Copilot”)
2. Your plan must include Chat (all paid plans do, Free has limits)
3. Try: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "GitHub Copilot Chat: Reset Chat"

Copilot alternatives

If Copilot keeps having issues, consider:

Alternative	Price	Advantage
Cursor	$20/mo	Better AI, full IDE
Continue.dev	Free	Open source, any model
Claude Code	$20/mo	Best for complex tasks
Aider	Free	Terminal, open source

Related: GitHub Copilot vs Cursor · GitHub Copilot One-Week Review · Continue.dev vs Cursor vs Copilot · Best AI Coding Tools · Free vs Paid AI Coding Tools