config option contextTier does nothing

[matthall88]

Describe the bug

Context Tier config option does not seem to actually impact the agent that the cli is launched with, nor any despatched sub agents; until you have manually used the model picker to select a model with long context, THEN the main session and sub agents correctly use long context

Affected version

GitHub Copilot CLI 1.0.61.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

Ensure previous copilot cli session was running with a model with default context window selected

Launch the cli with --context=long_context
OR
launch a session with no options and then:
/config contextTier long_context

run /context to see usage, the model context shows the default value (not the extended option)

Expected behavior

launching cli with context option or setting the context tier via config changes the context tier for the model in use and crucially any despatched sub agents

Additional context

No response

[matthall88]

This is linked to #3481

[Zwaenson1k]

Confirming this with a reliable, verified workaround: the --context <tier> CLI flag (documented in copilot --help: "Set the context window tier (overrides persisted setting)") does apply correctly at launch, even though the interactive /model Tab-based context-tier picker described in this issue does not reliably take effect.

copilot --context long_context

We've wired this into our own launcher wrapper as a stopgap (env-var driven --context override) so users don't depend on the picker path at all until this is fixed upstream. Might help others hitting the same "picker shows it, session doesn't use it" symptom while this is open.

[Zwaenson1k]

Correction to my earlier comment: the --context launcher workaround was not evidence that the native picker failed.

On Copilot CLI 1.0.71, a real Windows pseudoconsole test confirmed that pressing Tab in /model changes the selected context tier and the accepted selection applies long context (longContextApplied: true). The observed problem was presentation: the selected row rendered both values (264K 1M) and distinguished the active one only by color. In Windows High Contrast that distinction was effectively invisible, so Tab appeared non-functional.

Please disregard my earlier claim that the picker state did not reliably apply; that conclusion was not sufficiently verified.

[Tak2121]

متوجه منظورت نشده بله من الان این مشکل را دارم که همه دارای ها و کیف پولهای که دارم عدادصفر را نشان میدا در تاریخ پنجشنبه ۱۶ ژوئیه ۲۰۲۶، ۱۶:۲۷ Zwaenson1k ***@***.***> نوشت:

…

*Zwaenson1k* left a comment (github/copilot-cli#3762) <#3762 (comment)> Correction to my earlier comment: the --context launcher workaround was not evidence that the native picker failed. On Copilot CLI 1.0.71, a real Windows pseudoconsole test confirmed that pressing Tab in /model changes the selected context tier and the accepted selection applies long context (longContextApplied: true). The observed problem was presentation: the selected row rendered both values (264K 1M) and distinguished the active one only by color. In Windows High Contrast that distinction was effectively invisible, so Tab appeared non-functional. Please disregard my earlier claim that the picker state did not reliably apply; that conclusion was not sufficiently verified. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3762?email_source=notifications&email_token=BMBZYCUEUNOSVOOGE2DMEC35FDGMXA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIOJZGIYTEMJXGI42M4TFMFZW63VKON2WE43DOJUWEZLEUVSXMZLOOSWGM33PORSXEX3DNRUWG2Y#issuecomment-4992121729>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BMBZYCX7TWDCQCJ4UQ74WLT5FDGMXAVCNFSNUABFKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHM2TQNJYGYYDMNRUHNEXG43VMU5TINRUGAYDSMZYGM32C5QC> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/BMBZYCTC3OP4H5CZX6VRYIL5FDGMXA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIOJZGIYTEMJXGI42M4TFMFZW63VKON2WE43DOJUWEZLEUVSXMZLOOSVGM33PORSXEX3JN5ZQ> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/BMBZYCT3535LOLQKHDF32Y35FDGMXA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIOJZGIYTEMJXGI42M4TFMFZW63VKON2WE43DOJUWEZLEUVSXMZLOOSXGM33PORSXEX3BNZSHE33JMQ>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[Zwaenson1k]

Funny. cause i had to use a translator to understand your gibberisch.

[Tak2121]

چرت و پرت نیس زبان گفتاری من ایرانی هست برنامه دیکشنری بزنید ببینید چی نوشتم بعدش دیشب مبلغی پول بلکچین کردم برای یک فرد لطفا کد هش بلاکچین رو در بیارید در تاریخ جمعه ۱۷ ژوئیه ۲۰۲۶،‏ ۰۷:۱۷ Zwaenson1k ***@***.***> نوشت:

…

*Zwaenson1k* left a comment (github/copilot-cli#3762) <#3762 (comment)> Funny. cause i had to use a translator to understand your gibberisch. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3762?email_source=notifications&email_token=BMBZYCTPC64EJFBZRM56DW35FGOU3A5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIOJZHA3TONZYG4Y2M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLDGN5XXIZLSL5RWY2LDNM#issuecomment-4998777871>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BMBZYCRA626PGXRTXZ3XDAL5FGOU3AVCNFSNUABFKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHM2TQNJYGYYDMNRUHNEXG43VMU5TINRUGAYDSMZYGM32C5QC> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/BMBZYCV6EMDY54FVB6RR4WD5FGOU3A5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIOJZHA3TONZYG4Y2M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJKTGN5XXIZLSL5UW64Y> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/BMBZYCVP7VOQYAXP6ZGTAR35FGOU3A5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIOJZHA3TONZYG4Y2M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLTGN5XXIZLSL5QW4ZDSN5UWI>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[copilot-cli-bot]

This appears to be resolved as of GitHub Copilot CLI v1.0.86. Please update to that release or a newer stable version. We're closing this as completed. If it still happens, please comment with your version and reproduction steps.