Open GitHub Copilot Chat in New Window | Generated by AI

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Question: How to set a key binding in VS Code so GitHub Copilot Chat moves to a separate (new) window?

Answer:

You want Copilot Chat opened in editor / separate window, then bind a shortcut to that command.

Step 1 — Find the command

Open Command Palette:

Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P

Search:

Chat: Open in Editor

This command opens Copilot Chat as a tab, which you can then drag to a separate window.

VS Code supports opening chat in different surfaces including editor tab or separate window. (Visual Studio Code)

Step 2 — Bind a key

Open keyboard shortcuts JSON:

Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P
→ Preferences: Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON)

Add:

{
  "key": "cmd+shift+o",
  "command": "workbench.action.chat.openInEditor"
}

(Windows)

{
  "key": "ctrl+shift+o",
  "command": "workbench.action.chat.openInEditor"
}

Step 3 — Move to separate window (optional)

After it opens in editor tab:

Cmd/Ctrl + K then O

This opens that chat in new VSCode window

Best setup (one-shot)

Bind directly:

{
  "key": "ctrl+alt+c",
  "command": "workbench.action.chat.openInEditor"
},
{
  "key": "ctrl+alt+w",
  "command": "workbench.action.moveEditorToNewWindow"
}

Now:

Also useful Copilot Chat shortcuts

If you’d like, I can also set:

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