GitHub Copilot in Xcode Arrives in Public Preview With 27.3

GitHub Copilot in Xcode is now part of Apple's built-in coding assistant, so developers can use it without a separate plugin. The integration is in public preview starting with Xcode 27.3 beta, and GitHub says every Copilot plan is supported.

GitHub announced the change in a changelog post on November 4. Apple's Xcode 27.3 beta release notes also list it as a new feature under Coding Intelligence.

How Do You Turn On GitHub Copilot in Xcode?

First, download Xcode 27.3 beta from Apple Developer Downloads. Also, it needs a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26.6 or later. After that, open Xcode, go to Settings, choose Intelligence and set up GitHub Copilot as the coding assistant.

The older GitHub Copilot for Xcode extension is not going away. In other words, developers can pick either the native assistant or the extension, depending on how they like to work.

Item	Detail
Status	Public preview
Xcode version	27.3 beta or later
macOS needed	Tahoe 26.6 or later
Plans	All Copilot plans
Setting	Xcode, Settings, Intelligence

What Else Did GitHub Copilot Get This Week?

The Xcode news was part of a bigger weekly update. According to GitHub's November 6 release roundup, Copilot also arrived in JetBrains Air, where developers can track several agent sessions and run tasks locally or in the cloud with their existing subscription.

In addition, the Copilot app can now merge a pull request on its own once required checks pass, through a feature called Agent Merge. The Copilot command line tool also gained a single settings dashboard for plugins and servers.

Why Does GitHub Copilot in Xcode Matter?

Xcode has long been a closed space for AI coding tools, and most iOS developers relied on add-ons. Now Apple is opening its own assistant to another major outside tool, while it also tightens spending on AI internally, as our report on Apple AI budget cuts showed. Developers testing the new iOS 27.3 beta can try both at once.

Our Take

This is a small menu change with big reach. Many Apple developers already use Copilot elsewhere, so letting them use it natively in Xcode removes a real hassle. However, it is still a beta, so teams shipping production apps should wait for the stable Xcode release before switching fully.