Summary
On October 10, 2026, GitHub shipped an update to Copilot for JetBrains giving enterprise admins a managed default model for new conversations, a setting to disable automatic MCP server startup for Copilot and Claude, and chat improvements including an inline Fix action, per-turn grouping, and copy/edit on user messages.
What changed
Enterprise admins can set a default model for new Copilot conversations via managed settings while users can still switch manually. A new MCP setting turns off automatic server startup for Copilot and Claude so configured tools activate on demand. Chat now offers a Fix option from diagnostics that opens inline chat, groups messages by turn with navigation, adds copy and edit actions on user messages, and clearer account labels with a Switch Account option.
Why it matters
The managed default-model and MCP startup controls give platform teams governance over which models and tools run inside the JetBrains IDE, a growing enterprise requirement as coding assistants gain model choice and MCP tool access. The chat changes close usability gaps with Copilot's VS Code experience.
Evidence excerpt
"This update brings more control over default models and MCP server in GitHub Copilot for JetBrains." Admins can set a default model via managed settings; a new MCP setting can turn off automatic server startup for Copilot and Claude; diagnostics gain a Fix option that opens inline chat; messages are grouped by turn with copy and edit actions.