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Use the GitHub Copilot app’s My work pane to see what is in progress, complete, or coming next. Then choose a chat session for questions and exploration, or a project session when a task needs a repository. Keeping separate tasks in separate agent sessions gives each its own isolated workspace, which makes parallel work easier to follow.
What the GitHub Copilot app is for
The GitHub Copilot app is a desktop workspace for developer work with agents, including work across repositories, parallel tasks, and the pull-request lifecycle. It is one way to use Copilot, not a required replacement for every other surface. Depending on the task, you can work with Copilot in an IDE, the command line, GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile, or GitHub Desktop instead. GitHub describes these surfaces and their roles in its Copilot overview.
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Use My work to track sessions
Open My work when you need an overview of ongoing, completed, and upcoming work. It is the orientation point for keeping track of multiple Copilot sessions rather than relying on memory or reopening each one to see its status. In GitHub Blog author Christopher Harrison’s beginner-series article, he writes: “If you’re juggling multiple Copilot sessions, use the My work pane to track what’s in flight, what’s done, and what’s next.” Read Harrison’s article.
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Choose a chat session or a project session
Use the session type that matches the task: a chat session keeps a conversation focused on questions and exploration, while a project session brings repository work into the process.
#1 Best Overall
| Session type | Best fit | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Chat session | Asking questions, brainstorming, or getting oriented | Use it when you do not need to start work in a repository. |
| Project session | Planning, inspecting, editing, or testing repository work | Depending on session settings, a project session may create a branch or worktree; it is not guaranteed in every setup. |
GitHub’s beginner course introduces these session types and their purposes in its course repository. A useful rule is to begin with chat when you are still figuring out what to do, and choose a project session once the task needs repository context or changes.
Keep parallel tasks separate
Each agent session runs in its own isolated workspace. That separation lets you run distinct tasks in parallel without treating them as one shared editing context. For example, you might use separate sessions to investigate a bug and plan an unrelated improvement. Give each session a specific goal, and use My work to see what remains in flight and what is finished. GitHub documents agent sessions and session management in its agent documentation.
Find, archive, or restore older sessions
Use Manage sessions to maintain session history. Its controls include searching and filtering sessions, archiving or deleting them, and restoring archived chats. Archive sessions you may want to revisit but do not need in your active list; delete only when you no longer need the session history. The available controls are described in GitHub’s session-management guide.
Start a session in the right workspace
The app is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. GitHub documents several ways to set up work: use a local repository, provide a Git URL, create a new working tree, or use a cloud sandbox. The available choices may depend on current product capabilities and configuration. GitHub marks local and cloud sandboxes as public preview, so their behavior and availability may change. Check the current GitHub Copilot app setup documentation before choosing a workspace.
GitHub says the app is available with any Copilot plan, and its product page also describes use with a user’s own key. Confirm current plan and provider details on GitHub’s Copilot product page before making access or purchase decisions.
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