Install GitHub Copilot modernization in your IDE

This article shows you how to install the GitHub Copilot modernization extension for Visual Studio Code or the GitHub Copilot modernization plugin for IntelliJ IDEA. After installation, you can use GitHub Copilot modernization to upgrade Java applications, migrate them to Azure, and modernize them without leaving your IDE.

Prerequisites

• A GitHub account with GitHub Copilot enabled. You need a Free Tier, Pro, Pro+, Business, or Enterprise plan.
• Java JDK for both the source and target JDK versions.
• Maven or Gradle to build Java projects.
• A Git-managed Java project that uses Maven or Gradle.
• For Maven-based projects, access to the public Maven Central repository.

Note

An Azure account is required only for deploying resources to Azure, and isn't needed when using GitHub Copilot modernization to make code changes.

If you're using Gradle, only the Gradle wrapper version 5 or later is supported.

The Kotlin Domain Specific Language (DSL) isn't supported.

Install GitHub Copilot modernization

Select the tab that matches the IDE you use, and then follow the steps to install GitHub Copilot modernization.

Visual Studio Code

Before you install the extension, make sure you have the following IDE prerequisites in place:

• Visual Studio Code version 1.101 or later.
• GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code. For setup instructions, see Set up GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code. Be sure to sign in to your GitHub account within Visual Studio Code.
• In the Visual Studio Code settings, make sure chat.extensionTools.enabled is set to true. Your organization might control this setting.

To install the extension, use the following steps:

1. In Visual Studio Code, open the Extensions view from the Activity Bar.
2. Search for GitHub Copilot modernization in the marketplace.
3. Select GitHub Copilot modernization in the results.
4. On the extension page, select Install.
5. Restart Visual Studio Code.

After installation completes, you should see a confirmation notification in Visual Studio Code.

For more information, see Install a VS Code extension and the GitHub Copilot modernization marketplace listing.

IntelliJ IDEA

Before you install the plugin, make sure you have the following IDE prerequisites in place:

• IntelliJ IDEA version 2023.3 or later.
• GitHub Copilot plugin version 1.5.59 or later. For setup instructions, see Set up GitHub Copilot in IntelliJ IDEA. Be sure to sign in to your GitHub account within IntelliJ IDEA. If you don't have the GitHub Copilot plugin installed, you can install GitHub Copilot modernization directly.

Note

The function My Skills isn't supported yet for IntelliJ IDEA.

To install the plugin, use the following steps:

1. In IntelliJ IDEA, open Settings > Plugins.
2. Select the Marketplace tab and search for GitHub Copilot modernization.
3. On the GitHub Copilot modernization entry, select Install.
4. Restart IntelliJ IDEA when prompted.

For the marketplace listing, see GitHub Copilot modernization on the JetBrains Marketplace.

Tip

To get the best experience in IntelliJ IDEA, configure a few key settings after installation. For example, enable Auto-approve and Trust MCP Tool Annotations under Tools > GitHub Copilot. For more information, see Configure settings for GitHub Copilot modernization to optimize the experience for IntelliJ.

Next step

Quickstart: Upgrade a Java project with GitHub Copilot modernization