My First Week with VS Code's New Copilot Edits

My First Week with VS Code's New Copilot Edits

By Chika Eze

GitHub Copilot has always been useful, but Copilot Edits feels like something much bigger. This isn't just autocomplete getting smarter. It's AI starting to understand your entire project.

After spending a full week using it on real applications, I can confidently say this: it's impressive, occasionally brilliant, and sometimes hilariously overconfident.

Copilot Edits doesn't just help you write code faster. It changes how you think about editing code entirely.

What Exactly Is Copilot Edits?

Unlike traditional Copilot, which suggests code one line at a time, Copilot Edits can modify multiple files simultaneously.

You describe what you want, and it applies coordinated changes across your codebase.

  • Refactor components
  • Rename functions project-wide
  • Add features across multiple files
  • Fix repetitive bugs instantly

It's the closest thing yet to having an AI pair programmer inside VS Code.

My First Impression

Honestly? It felt slightly unreal.

I asked it to convert a messy React component into a cleaner TypeScript version, and within seconds, it delivered a surprisingly solid draft.

Not perfect—but extremely good.

The first time it edits three files correctly in one shot, you will absolutely raise an eyebrow.

Where It Shines

  • Large-scale refactoring
  • Boilerplate generation
  • Updating repetitive code patterns
  • Learning unfamiliar codebases
  • Rapid prototyping

Tasks that used to take twenty minutes now often take three.

That's not incremental improvement. That's workflow transformation.

Where It Still Struggles

AI remains wonderfully confident, even when it's wrong.

  • Sometimes misunderstands architecture
  • Can over-edit unrelated files
  • Occasionally breaks existing patterns
  • Still requires human review every single time

Never merge blindly. That's not bravery; that's negligence.

Best Use Cases

Copilot Edits excels when the task is clear and well-defined. 

// Excellent prompt
"Convert this component to use React Query
and remove all manual fetch logic."

Specific instructions produce dramatically better results than vague ones.

What Surprised Me Most

It's not just faster coding. It's reduced mental fatigue.

The repetitive, mechanical parts of development simply disappear.

That leaves more energy for architecture, product decisions, and solving actual problems.

AI won't replace developers. It will replace a lot of tedious developer work.

Should Beginners Use It?

Yes—but carefully.

It's an incredible learning tool if you study every change it makes.

If you blindly accept everything, you're renting intelligence instead of building it.

Final Verdict

After one week, Copilot Edits has earned a permanent place in my workflow.

It's not flawless. It still makes mistakes. But when used properly, it's one of the biggest productivity upgrades VS Code has shipped in years.

Just remember: the AI writes code, but you still own the consequences.