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GitHub Copilot App: A Beginner’s Guide to Diffs, the Terminal, and Browser Access

Learn the first steps in the GitHub Copilot app, from connecting a repository and reviewing Changes to opening a terminal and accessing a session remotely.
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The GitHub Copilot app is a desktop workspace for agent-driven development. For a first project, connect a repository, give the agent a small task, review its edits in Changes, and decide whether to keep them. You can also open a terminal from an active session; browser access is a separate remote-session feature, not a documented browser diff-review pane.

What you need before you start

GitHub’s quickstart lists three prerequisites: a GitHub account, a Copilot plan or an outside model provider configured for the app, and Git installed on your computer. The app is documented for macOS, Linux, and Windows, and is available on Copilot plans. If you use a Business or Enterprise account, your organization’s app policy must allow access; GitHub says the app policy is enabled by default and is separate from the CLI policy. See GitHub’s getting-started guide and its app overview.

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How to start a first Copilot app session

  1. Download and open the app for your operating system, then sign in to GitHub.

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  2. Choose a repository from recent activity, add a local folder or repository, clone a GitHub repository, or enter a repository URL. Connecting a project gives the session access to read code and make edits; GitHub also documents pull-request workflows from agent sessions.

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  3. Select a session mode. For a first task, Interactive is a sensible choice: it is the mode used in GitHub’s quickstart example and allows you to respond and refine the work as it proceeds.

  4. Ask for a small, low-risk change. For example: “Suggest a small low-risk code change in this repository, implement it, and explain the diff.” A narrow request makes the resulting edits easier to inspect.

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GitHub also documents Plan mode, in which the agent proposes a plan for approval, and Autopilot, an autonomous mode. The app’s broader workflow can include creating a branch, changing code, running tests, reviewing and iterating, opening a pull request, checking CI, and merging. For an overview of those modes and the app’s role, see GitHub Copilot app.

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How do I review the diff?

After the agent makes changes, click Changes above the prompt box to see the diff. Review the edits rather than assuming the generated patch is correct. If something is unclear or wrong, ask the agent a question or request a correction, then inspect the updated changes in the same session.

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When you are satisfied and want to keep the work, click Create PR. The app can show the pull request directly. Review the proposed changes and any CI checks before merging, and follow your repository’s review and code policies. GitHub notes that generated code may match or nearly match public code even when a “Block” policy is set; content-exclusion policies also apply for Business and Enterprise plans. The quickstart describes the Changes and Create PR workflow.

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How to open the terminal

In an active app session, enter /terminal to open a new terminal in the right panel. You can optionally include a command after it, using the documented form /terminal [COMMAND]. Because available commands can change and context matters, type / in the app to see the current command picker. Consult GitHub’s slash-command reference for the current behavior.

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Can I access my session in a browser?

GitHub documents the /remote slash command as a way to enable access to the current session from GitHub.com in a browser or from GitHub Mobile. An active session is required, and the feature’s availability depends on organization or enterprise policy.

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This is remote access to a session; the cited command documentation does not establish a dedicated browser-based diff-review pane. To inspect edits, the documented app workflow is to use Changes above the prompt box. See the slash-command reference.

Which Copilot surface should a beginner use?

The app, CLI, and IDE serve different workflows rather than acting as interchangeable diff, terminal, and browser controls. GitHub positions the app for coordinated agent work and GitHub integration, the CLI for command-line workflows, and an IDE for interactive code authoring. Use the app when you want an agent session with a visible change-review and pull-request flow; use the surface that matches your existing work when your task is specifically command-line or in-editor authoring. See GitHub’s guide to where to use Copilot.

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