Microsoft has announced the August update for Visual Studio 2026, which introduces workflow optimization through model selection. This update allows users to choose the AI model that best fits their working style and integrate it into environments where GitHub Copilot already offers assistance, such as fixing vulnerable packages and reviewing pull requests. The update also enhances debugging tools, which are now more powerful regardless of the model being used. Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) created by Microsoft, used for building computer programs, including websites, web applications, and mobile apps. It supports Microsoft's software development platforms, such as the Windows API, Windows Forms, and Microsoft Store. The IDE includes features like IntelliSense (a code completion tool), code refactoring, and a debugger that works at both the source and machine levels. It also offers tools like a code profiler, a designer for graphical interfaces, and a database schema designer. The environment can be extended with plugins that add support for version control systems like Git and integrate new tools for software development. A new feature called "Bring Your Own Model" (BYOM) allows developers to use AI in Visual Studio with their team's preferred models, whether through GitHub Copilot or their own model deployments. This feature is available in preview and is enabled by default in the Community, Professional, and Enterprise editions. Users can connect to a Microsoft Foundry deployment or other supported providers, including custom endpoints for OpenAI and Ollama, and work in Agent mode with the new agent (preview). While this is a preliminary preview, not all models support all Agent mode features. When a feature isn't supported, Visual Studio clearly indicates this instead of showing an error. Supported providers include Microsoft Foundry, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Ollama, with support for custom endpoints for OpenAI and Ollama. The update includes major changes for the BYOM feature, such as compatibility with the new Agent (Preview), based on the GitHub Copilot SDK. Previously added Ollama models will need to be re-added after this update due to backend changes in the provider. The update also allows users to fix NuGet vulnerabilities directly from the error list using GitHub Copilot. When a restore reports a warning like NU1901, users can select the "sparkle" action in the "Fix" column, which opens GitHub Copilot Chat in Agent mode and asks Copilot to fix the vulnerable packages using the NuGet MCP server. To apply the fix, users need to restore a solution with a known vulnerable package, open the Error List, locate the "NuGet Audit" warning, select the "sparkle" action, and then review and apply the changes proposed by Copilot. This requires a connection to GitHub Copilot and the NuGet MCP server, which is integrated into Visual Studio and can be enabled from the Copilot Chat "Tools" menu. The Git Agent feature allows users to explore pull requests by having the Git Agent perform preparatory work using the connected model. Users can open GitHub Copilot Chat, select the Git Agent, and ask questions about their pull request, attaching it as context from the "Git Repository" window. The response includes links that open directly to the comments and files in the pull request view within the IDE, allowing users to access essential information without scrolling. Users can also ask follow-up questions to deepen the analysis. Connecting to the MCP servers of Git providers like GitHub and Azure DevOps allows Copilot to retrieve more context about pull requests. Finally, the update adds support for identifying the operand that determines the outcome of "if" conditions in C#. During debugging, the IDE highlights the expression that influenced the result of an "if" statement using && or ||. When a && condition evaluates to false, the highlighting shows which operand failed or caused a short-circuit. When a || condition evaluates to true, it highlights the operand that satisfied the condition. Users can disable this feature through the context menu or adjust the highlighting colors in the Fonts and Colors settings under Tools > Options > Environment.