Copilot completions missing in Xcode usually trace to a disabled editor extension, missing permissions, or a stalled helper app. Here is a focused checklist to get suggestions back.
Copilot for Xcode is not a single app. It is a helper application, a source editor extension, and a connection to GitHub's service, all of which must work together.
When completions stop, one of those links is broken. The fix is almost always to find which link failed.
This guide walks the chain from most common to least. Work through it in order rather than guessing.
Keep Xcode and the Copilot helper app both running while you troubleshoot. Many issues only resolve after a clean restart of both.
The single most common cause is a disabled editor extension. macOS requires you to explicitly turn it on.
Open System Settings and locate the Extensions area, then the section for Xcode source editor extensions. Confirm the Copilot extension is checked.
If it was already on, toggle it off and back on. That can re-register an extension Xcode silently dropped after an update.
Quit Xcode completely and reopen it afterward. The editor only loads extension changes on a fresh launch.
Real-time inline completion relies on Accessibility permission for the Copilot helper app. Without it, suggestions never render as you type.
Open Privacy and Security in System Settings and find the Accessibility list. Make sure the Copilot for Xcode helper app is present and enabled.
If it is missing, you may need to add it manually or reinstall so the prompt reappears. Permissions sometimes fail to register on first install.
After granting it, restart the helper app and Xcode. The permission usually takes effect only after a relaunch.
Completions also stop if your Copilot session has expired or your subscription lapsed. Open the helper app and check the account status.
Sign out and sign back in if the status looks ambiguous. A refreshed token resolves many silent failures.
Verify the GitHub account shown is the one with active Copilot access. Logging in with a second personal account that lacks Copilot is a frequent mistake.
If your plan recently changed or a trial ended, confirm your current entitlement on GitHub before troubleshooting further.
The helper app must be running for the extension to do anything. If it crashed or never launched, you get no suggestions.
Quit the helper app fully, relaunch it, and confirm it reports a connected state. Then restart Xcode.
A stale background process can also cause silent failures. If a restart does not help, log out of macOS or reboot to clear lingering processes.
Give the first file a few seconds after restart. Initial suggestion latency is normal and not a malfunction.
Major Xcode and macOS updates routinely break editor extensions. Apple changes internals, and the extension needs a matching update.
Update the Copilot for Xcode app to its latest version. The maintainers ship fixes specifically to track new Xcode releases.
Re-check every permission after an OS update. System updates frequently reset Accessibility and extension toggles without warning.
If a brand-new Xcode just shipped, give the extension a short window to catch up, and watch the official repository for a compatibility release.
When nothing else works, remove and reinstall cleanly. A corrupted install or stale configuration can resist every smaller fix.
Uninstall the Copilot for Xcode app following the official method, then reinstall the latest version. This forces fresh permission prompts.
After reinstalling, walk back through sign-in, the editor extension toggle, and Accessibility permission as if setting up new.
Reboot once more and test in a real Swift file. A clean slate resolves the stubborn cases that piecemeal fixes miss.
If suggestions still fail after a clean reinstall, the problem may be outside the extension. A network issue or a corporate proxy can block Copilot's service connection.
Test your network. Confirm you can reach GitHub and that no firewall is intercepting the Copilot traffic.
Check the official repository issues. A widespread outage or a known incompatibility with a just-released Xcode is often already reported there.
Remember the bigger picture. Copilot is an assistant, so even while you troubleshoot it, Xcode still builds, signs, and runs your app normally without it.
Before diving into individual fixes, a quick triage often points straight at the broken link. Run through it in under a minute.
Is the Copilot helper app actually running and reporting a connected, signed-in state? If not, that is your answer.
Is the source editor extension enabled in System Settings, and did you fully restart Xcode after enabling it? A missed toggle or restart is the most common culprit.
Is the signed-in GitHub account the one with active Copilot access? A wrong account looks connected but produces nothing.
Can the machine reach GitHub normally? If basic connectivity is blocked, no local fix will help.
If all four pass and completions are still missing, move on to the deeper fixes like permissions, updates, and a clean reinstall.
Because the setup has three moving parts, diagnosis is mostly about isolating which one is broken. A little observation narrows it quickly.
If the helper app itself shows a disconnected or signed-out state, the problem is authentication or the service connection, not Xcode.
If the helper app is healthy but no suggestions appear in the editor, suspect the source editor extension toggle or Accessibility permission.
If completions worked yesterday and stopped right after an update, the OS or Xcode change likely reset a permission or broke extension compatibility.
Matching the symptom to the layer saves you from blindly trying every fix. Confirm the failing link first, then apply the targeted fix for it.
It is easy to feel stuck when completions vanish, but your actual development is not blocked. Copilot is an assistant, not a dependency.
Xcode still compiles your Swift exactly as before. The toolchain does not need Copilot to build your project.
The simulator and device runs are unaffected. You can keep testing and iterating on real behavior while the extension is down.
Signing and submission still work. Certificates, provisioning, and App Store Connect run through Apple's tooling and your Apple Developer Program account, entirely independent of Copilot.
So troubleshoot calmly. Restore completions when you can, but know that everything required to build, sign, and ship your app keeps functioning in the meantime.
Xcode updates often disable or break source editor extensions. Update the Copilot for Xcode app, re-enable the extension in System Settings, and re-check permissions.
The source editor extension is not enabled in macOS System Settings. Toggle it on, then fully restart Xcode.
Yes. The helper app typically needs Accessibility permission for inline completions, and the editor extension must be enabled in System Settings.
Yes. An expired session or lapsed plan stops completions. Sign out and back in, and confirm the signed-in account has active Copilot access.