GitHub Copilot computer use now drives your desktop apps
GitHub Copilot computer use is in public preview: the CLI and app can click, type and navigate desktop apps on macOS and Windows. Here is how to control it.
Your coding agent can now use the mouse. GitHub Copilot computer use went into public preview on October 1. The Copilot CLI and the Copilot desktop app can now read, click, type and scroll in other desktop applications on macOS and Windows. GitHub says the target is legacy and GUI-only software with no API, CLI or MCP server. Most small businesses run at least one app like that. It is also a new way for an agent to touch things it should not.
What actually happened
Per the GitHub changelog, Copilot can now read accessible app content and the screen, click controls, enter and edit text, press keys, scroll, drag, and move through workflows across applications.
The controls:
- Off by default. In the CLI,
/computer onenables it,/computer showchecks status, and/computer offdisables it. In the app, it is under Settings → Computer Use. - Per-app approval. Copilot asks before it controls an app. You can choose "always allow" for an app, and you can review or reset that list.
- Admin kill switch. Organizations can disable the feature through managed settings.
- OS permissions. On macOS, Copilot walks you through Accessibility and Screen Recording access.
The changelog does not say which Copilot plans get the preview or which models drive it.
Why it matters for your business
The old desktop app is now automatable. The accounting package, the supplier portal, the POS back office with no API: those were dead ends for automation. A computer-use agent can now fill those forms. That is useful for one-off data moves and testing.
"Always allow" is the risky button. Screen Recording access means the agent sees everything on screen, including the email and banking tab beside your target app. Approve apps one session at a time, and never "always allow" your browser, password manager or banking software.
Use it as a bridge, not a foundation. Screen automation breaks when a vendor moves a button. For anything you run daily, a real API integration or a small MCP server is cheaper to keep alive. Use computer use to prove the workflow, then build the durable version.
Key takeaways
- Copilot CLI and the Copilot app can now control desktop apps on macOS and Windows (public preview)
- It is off by default; enable with /computer on or in app settings
- Copilot asks for per-app approval, and admins can disable it with managed settings
- Do not "always allow" browsers, password managers or financial apps
- Screen automation is fragile: replace daily workflows with an API or MCP integration
Stuck with software that has no API? We prototype the workflow with computer-use agents, then build the integration that lasts, whether that is an API bridge or a custom MCP server. See what we build, or tell us which app is in the way.
Sources: GitHub Changelog.
- #github-copilot
- #computer-use
- #desktop-automation
- #ai-agents
- #legacy-software
Tommy Rush — Founder, Rush Commerce
Operator turned builder. 15+ years running operations — now shipping the systems businesses run on. More
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