GitHub Copilot CLI now supports Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) and local model configurations, allowing developers to connect their own model providers (Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenAI-compatible endpoints) or run fully local models like Ollama and vLLM. A new offline mode (COPILOT_OFFLINE=true) disables telemetry and GitHub server communication for air-gapped environments. GitHub authentication is now optional when using your own provider, though signing in unlocks additional features like /delegate and GitHub Code Search. Models must support tool calling and streaming, with a 128k token context window recommended.
Table of contents
Connect any model providerOffline mode for air-gapped environmentsGitHub authentication is now optionalWhat you need to knowSort: