Wait, Another VS Code Update Already? š¤
You open VS Code on a Tuesday morning, coffee in hand, ready to finally fix that bug you've been avoiding ā and boom, there's an update notification. Again.
Most developers click "Update Later" and move on. But here's the thing: sometimes an update isn't just a bug fix. Sometimes it genuinely changes how you work. VS Code 1.113 is one of those updates.
Released on March 25, 2026, this version brings some seriously useful improvements ā especially if you're working with AI agents, MCP servers, or just want your editor to feel a little more modern. Think of it like a car tune-up. You don't always notice it while driving, but suddenly everything just feels smoother.
So let's break down what's new, what it means for you, and why you should actually pay attention this time. š
What Is VS Code 1.113?
VS Code 1.113 is the latest stable release of Visual Studio Code ā the free, open-source code editor built by Microsoft that over 73% of developers use as their primary editor (no, that number doesn't surprise anyone at this point).
This release isn't a massive rewrite. It's more like a very thoughtful set of improvements across three major areas: the agent experience, the chat experience, and the editor experience. If you use GitHub Copilot, Claude agents, or MCP tools inside VS Code, you're going to notice the difference right away.
Think of it this way ā if VS Code 1.112 was your favorite app, 1.113 is the update that finally adds dark mode properly. You didn't know you needed it until it was there.
Why This Update Actually Matters
Here's the honest truth: most developers use maybe 40% of their editor's features. The rest are buried in settings or simply never discovered. But AI-assisted development is changing that fast.
More and more developers are running AI agents directly inside VS Code ā whether that's Copilot, Claude, or custom tools. This means VS Code is no longer just a text editor. It's becoming a full-blown AI development environment.
VS Code 1.113 takes that evolution seriously. It improves how agents communicate, how you control their behavior, and even how you look at your editor every morning (yes, the default themes got a refresh šØ).
If you're building anything in 2026 ā web apps, APIs, AI pipelines, whatever ā your editor is your cockpit. And this update makes the cockpit significantly better.
Key Features and Benefits with Real-Life Examples
š MCP Servers Now Work in CLI and Claude Agents
Previously, if you had MCP servers configured in VS Code, they'd only work for local agents running inside the editor. The moment you switched to a Copilot CLI or Claude agent session, those servers were essentially invisible.
What changed: VS Code now bridges your MCP server configuration to CLI and Claude agents automatically. Servers you've defined ā both user-level and workspace-level via mcp.json ā are now available everywhere.
Real example: Imagine you've set up a custom MCP server that connects to your internal documentation. Before 1.113, your Claude CLI agent couldn't access it. Now it can ā without any extra setup.
š“ Fork Your Agent Sessions
This one is a hidden gem. You can now fork a Copilot CLI or Claude agent session, creating a parallel copy at any point in the conversation history.
Why this is great: Ever been deep in a debugging session with your AI agent and thought, "what if I tried a completely different approach?" Before, you'd either lose your context or start over. Now you fork the session, try the new approach in the copy, and keep the original safe.
It's like Git branches ā but for your AI conversations. šæ
š¤ Nested Subagents
Subagents can now call other subagents. This was intentionally blocked before to prevent infinite loops, but now it's available via a setting: chat.subagents.allowInvocationsFromSubagents.
This unlocks genuinely complex multi-step automations. Think of it like function composition ā your agents can now delegate to specialized agents, just like a senior dev hands off tasks to teammates.
š§ Configurable Thinking Effort in the Model Picker
Reasoning models like Claude Sonnet 4.6 now expose a "Thinking Effort" submenu directly in the model picker. You can choose Low, Medium, or High effort without digging through settings.
Practical impact: Quick code explanations? Set it to Low and get faster responses. Architecting a complex system? Crank it to High and let the model think before it answers. You're the one in control now.
š¼ļø Full Image Viewer for Chat Attachments
If you're attaching screenshots to your Copilot chat, or your agent generates images via tool calls, you can now click any image to open a full viewer with zoom, pan, navigation, and thumbnail strips.
No more squinting at tiny previews. This is the kind of quality-of-life improvement that sounds small but saves real frustration every single day.
šØ New Default Themes: VS Code Light & VS Code Dark
The old "Modern" themes have been retired. Say hello to "VS Code Light" and "VS Code Dark" ā designed to be cleaner, more modern, and better-looking across all screen types.
Bonus: OS theme syncing now defaults to these new themes for new users, so VS Code will automatically match your system's light/dark mode. Dark mode warriors, rejoice. āļøš
š Self-Signed Certificates in the Integrated Browser
If you've ever developed a local HTTPS app and hit a certificate error in the integrated browser ā you know how annoying that is. VS Code 1.113 now lets you temporarily trust self-signed certificates, just like real browsers do.
It grants trust for one week and shows a clear warning in the URL bar. Simple, practical, no more switching to Chrome for local SSL testing.
Comparison: VS Code 1.112 vs 1.113
| Feature | VS Code 1.112 | VS Code 1.113 |
|---|---|---|
| MCP servers in CLI agents | ā Not available | ā Fully supported |
| Session forking in CLI agents | ā Not available | ā Available (experimental) |
| Nested subagents | ā Blocked | ā Optional via settings |
| Thinking effort control | Settings only | ā Right in model picker |
| Image viewer in chat | Inline thumbnails only | ā Full viewer with zoom & nav |
| Default themes | Modern Light/Dark | ā VS Code Light/Dark (new) |
| SSL in integrated browser | ā Blocked by cert errors | ā Trust override available |
| Chat customization UI | Scattered in settings | ā Unified Chat Customizations editor |
Best Tips: Do's & Don'ts for VS Code 1.113
ā Do's
-
Do enable session forking ā if you're doing any serious agent-based development, enable
github.copilot.chat.cli.forkSessions.enabled. You'll thank yourself later. - Do try the new themes ā even if you've been rocking the same theme for years, give VS Code Dark a shot. It's genuinely refreshing.
-
Do explore the Chat Customizations editor ā open it via
Ctrl+Shift+Pā "Chat: Open Chat Customizations". It consolidates all your AI setup in one place. - Do tune thinking effort per task ā don't just leave it on the default. Fast tasks ā Low effort. Complex architecture ā High effort. This saves both time and tokens.
- Do check the Agent Debug Log panel ā if your CLI agents are behaving weirdly, the debug log now works for them too. It's your best friend for troubleshooting.
ā Don'ts
- Don't enable nested subagents blindly ā it's powerful, but set clear depth limits in your workflow. Infinite recursion is real. š
-
Don't ignore the deprecated settings ā
github.copilot.chat.anthropic.thinking.effortis now deprecated. If you have it in your config, clean it up. - Don't overlook Edit Mode deprecation ā Edit Mode is officially deprecated as of 1.110. If you're still using it, start migrating. It gets fully removed at 1.125.
-
Don't skip the image viewer feature ā it's enabled by default and works from the Explorer context menu too. Use
imageCarousel.chat.enabledif you want to fine-tune it.
Common Mistakes Developers Make After a VS Code Update
1. Not reading the release notes (until something breaks)
We've all been there. You update, something feels different, and you spend 20 minutes Googling what changed. Just read the notes. They're short and worth it.
2. Leaving deprecated settings in their workspace config
Deprecated settings don't immediately cause errors ā they just silently stop working. Clean up your settings.json periodically. Future-you will appreciate it.
3. Assuming all agent features work out of the box
Some features ā like forking CLI sessions and nested subagents ā are disabled by default or marked experimental. Check the settings. The feature exists; it just needs to be turned on.
4. Ignoring the CLI agent improvements
A lot of developers only use VS Code's chat panel and never touch the CLI agents. If you haven't tried them, 1.113 is honestly a great time to start. The debug logs and MCP support make them much more usable now.
5. Keeping the old default theme forever
Look, loyalty to "Default Dark+" is understandable. But sometimes a visual refresh genuinely boosts focus. Try the new themes for a week before deciding.
So ā Are You Actually Using Your Editor to Its Full Potential? š¤
Here's a question worth asking yourself: if VS Code is your daily driver, how many of its features are you actually using beyond syntax highlighting and Emmet? Most developers have a setup that's maybe 3 years behind the current state of the editor.
VS Code 1.113 is a small but meaningful nudge toward a more AI-integrated, agent-aware development workflow. You don't have to use every feature on day one ā but knowing they exist means you can reach for them when the moment is right.
Start with the things that matter to you most. If you use CLI agents, start there. If you care about theme aesthetics, try the new look. If you're building complex automations, look into nested subagents.
One feature at a time. That's how you level up. š
Conclusion: Keep Exploring, Keep Building š
VS Code 1.113 might not be the most dramatic release in the editor's history, but it's a thoughtful one. Better agent tooling, smarter UI, unified customization, and a fresh coat of paint ā it all adds up.
The developers who stay ahead aren't necessarily working harder. They're working with better tools, configured better, updated more consistently.
If you found this breakdown useful, there's a lot more where this came from. Head over to hamidrazadev.com for deep dives into developer tools, web development, AI workflows, and everything in between ā written by a developer, for developers.
Bookmark it. Share it. Come back when the next VS Code update drops. š
And if this post helped you understand something new today, share it with a dev friend who's still clicking "Update Later" every time VS Code asks.
Happy Coding! š»
Top comments (0)