GitHub has updated its Microsoft Teams app to let users ask GitHub Copilot to investigate repository updates and prepare code changes directly from notification threads. The feature connects GitHub notifications with Copilot’s coding capabilities, allowing developers to move from an issue discussion to a proposed fix without leaving Teams.
Copilot Can Investigate Issues and Prepare Fixes
Users can reply to a repository update, mention @GitHub, and describe the work they want completed. Copilot uses the linked issue or pull request, along with the conversation in the Teams thread, as context for the task.
According to GitHub, Copilot can reproduce bugs, run tests, make fixes, and submit proposed changes through a pull request. Teams can then review the work, request revisions, test the changes, and decide whether to merge it.
Teams can use the same workflow for feature development, adding tests, and updating documentation. GitHub says using the existing discussion as context can help teams avoid rewriting task descriptions when moving from discussion to implementation.
Paid Copilot Plan Required
There is a difference between receiving GitHub notifications and using Copilot. Repository notifications work without a GitHub Copilot license. However, using Copilot requires a paid GitHub Copilot plan, with cloud sandboxes enabled.
Organization and enterprise users may also need an administrator to enable both Copilot cloud agent and cloud sandboxes before they can delegate work through Teams.
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Legacy GitHub App to be Retired
Existing users can access the new capabilities by updating the app, while their existing notification functions will continue to work.
Users of the legacy GitHub app need to install the consolidated GitHub app to continue accessing Copilot through Teams. The older app will be renamed 'GitHub (deprecated)' and is scheduled to retire on November 16, 2026.
In the consolidated app, users can mention @GitHub and follow prompts to connect their GitHub account and select a repository.
GitHub said Microsoft product and engineering teams already use the Teams app to turn GitHub issues into code. The company has also made Agentic autofix generally available for code scanning alerts, with fixes checked through CodeQL before a pull request reaches reviewers.