GitHub Copilot August 3 Update: Sessions, /btw, and Element Feedback

GitHub shipped its August 3 weekly Copilot update across the desktop app, CLI, and VS Code 1.132 on August 7. The headline additions include a Sessions sidebar in the CLI for juggling multiple conversations, a /btw side chat command in VS Code that lets you ask questions without interrupting an active agent turn, element-level visual feedback in the integrated browser, and on-device multilingual dictation. Taken together, the release focuses on keeping context intact while switching between tasks or questions.

What happened

Area	What’s new
Copilot App	Shows which model handled each request, plus AI credit and cache details
Copilot App	/side command opens a parallel question without disrupting the main task
Copilot CLI	Sessions sidebar (left arrow to open) with shortcuts: n for new, x to close, arrows to navigate
Copilot CLI	Experimental /worktree command creates an isolated Git worktree with a separate conversation
Copilot CLI	/rewind works without Git, restoring conversation and files while keeping subsequent edits
Copilot CLI	Live tool-call durations visible in the timeline
VS Code 1.132	/btw side chat shares context and prompt cache from the primary conversation
VS Code 1.132	Integrated browser supports selecting and annotating individual page elements
VS Code 1.132	Multilingual dictation runs on-device by default; auto-detects language
VS Code 1.132	Markdown diffs open in experimental hybrid editor with gutter indicators

Why it matters

The common thread across all three surfaces is context preservation. Developers constantly lose their train of thought when they need to check something tangential or switch to a different problem. These updates chip away at that.

The /btw command in VS Code is the most immediately useful addition for most developers. You can highlight a chunk of a Copilot response, ask a follow-up question, and get an answer, all without stopping the agent mid-task. The side chat explicitly shares the prompt cache from the main conversation, so you are not starting cold.

The CLI Sessions sidebar addresses a real friction point for teams running long agentic tasks. Instead of opening separate terminal windows, you can now navigate between sessions with single-key shortcuts (n, x, and arrow keys). The experimental /worktree command adds a Git worktree, which is a way to check out a separate branch in a second working directory without cloning the repo again, paired with its own Copilot conversation.

Element-level browser feedback in VS Code is a meaningful step for front-end workflows. Previously, sending visual feedback meant describing the element in text or attaching a screenshot. Now you select the element directly, attach a comment, and send it. You can annotate several elements before hitting send, which maps closely to how a designer would mark up a page.

Our take

GitHub is clearly trying to keep Copilot useful during the messy middle of a task, not just at the start. That is the right instinct. Most AI coding tools are great for the first prompt and awkward for the tenth.

That said, some of these features add surface area that developers will need to learn. The /side command in the app, /btw in VS Code, and the Sessions sidebar in CLI are all solving the same problem in slightly different ways across three different interfaces. That fragmentation is worth watching. If you already cover Copilot usage as part of a broader AI integration rollout, be specific about which surface your team actually uses before training on new commands.

The on-device multilingual dictation is a quieter but genuinely useful addition, particularly for teams in multilingual environments. Audio staying on the device removes a compliance objection some enterprise teams have raised about cloud-routed speech.

The Markdown hybrid diff editor is experimental and niche, but it points toward Copilot eventually handling documentation reviews the same way it handles code reviews. Keep an eye on it.

For broader context on where Copilot fits relative to other AI coding tools, our earlier breakdown of Copilot app slash commands covers what each command does in plain terms.

What to do about it

1. Update VS Code to 1.132 and run /btw in an active agent session to test context sharing before adopting it in daily work.
2. Open the CLI Sessions sidebar with the left arrow key and practice the n, x shortcuts on a low-stakes task.
3. Try /worktree if your team regularly runs experiments in parallel branches. It pairs well with any workflow that already uses Git worktrees.
4. Enable the multilingual dictation microphone onboarding in VS Code if your team works across languages or has cloud-audio compliance requirements.
5. Use the integrated browser element selector on a real UI review task before deciding whether it replaces your current screenshot-and-describe process.

The session management and /btw features reward teams that run long agentic tasks. If your team is still using Copilot mainly for single-shot completions, these updates give a good reason to experiment with longer agent sessions.

Source: GitHub Changelog