Microsoft shifts engineers to Copilot CLI

Microsoft’s developer-tool stack moved again this month as GitHub’s Copilot CLI gained internal momentum, AWS set a retirement path for Amazon Q Developer IDE plugins, and Cognition added Android emulator support to Devin. The changes landed across different companies and products, but all involved coding agents that now do more than autocomplete code. GitHub has positioned Copilot CLI as a terminal-based coding agent for subscribers, AWS has told customers to move from Q Developer IDE tooling to Kiro, and Cognition says Devin can now build and run Android applications on its own machine. Company statements and product documents show the products are being packaged less as standalone assistants and more as managed development environments. ### Why did Copilot CLI become central to this story? GitHub said on February 25 that Copilot CLI became generally available for all Copilot subscribers. The company described it as a “terminal-native coding agent” and said the product brings GitHub Copilot directly to the command line. GitHub’s documentation shows why the product matters inside larger engineering organizations. (github.blog) The docs say Copilot CLI supports remote control from GitHub.com or GitHub Mobile, includes a built-in “rubber duck” critic agent, and can manage pull requests and multi-step implementation plans from the terminal. GitHub added on April 7 that Copilot CLI now supports bring-your-own-key model connections and local models. (github.blog) GitHub said those options let users connect Azure OpenAI, Anthropic or other OpenAI-compatible endpoints, and said the setup can support air-gapped environments and direct control of model spending. ### What has Microsoft been reported to be doing internally? (docs.github.com) WinBuzzer reported on May 15 that Microsoft was moving engineers in its Experiences + Devices organization from Claude Code to GitHub Copilot CLI by June 30, 2026. The report said the affected groups included teams across Windows, Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams and Surface. (github.blog) Windows Forum, citing Microsoft executive Rajesh Jha, said Microsoft’s public explanation was that Claude Code had helped the company learn quickly and benchmark workflows, while Copilot CLI gave Microsoft and GitHub a product they could shape more directly around internal repositories, workflows and security expectations. Reuters could not independently verify the internal license changes from a Microsoft filing or company post. (winbuzzer.com) January 21 was another marker in that shift. GitHub said users of the older GitHub Copilot in the CLI extension could install and run the new agentic Copilot CLI through `gh copilot`, and said the earlier extension had been deprecated in favor of the newer CLI. ### What exactly is AWS changing with Amazon Q Developer? (windowsforum.com) AWS said on April 30 that Amazon Q Developer IDE plugins and paid subscriptions will reach end-of-support on April 30, 2027. The company said new signups would be blocked starting May 15, 2026, while existing subscriptions could continue adding users during the transition. (github.blog) AWS documentation says customers upgrading to Kiro will see the Amazon Q Developer console rebranded, with IDE extensions and CLI installations updating to Kiro equivalents. The company says administrators should begin using the Kiro console to manage subscriptions and user access. AWS also said some Amazon Q experiences remain outside that retirement path. (aws.amazon.com) The company’s roundup post said the change applies to IDE plugins and paid subscriptions, while Q Developer in the AWS Console and other first-party AWS experiences are unaffected. ### What did Cognition add to Devin this week? (docs.aws.amazon.com) Cognition said on May 13 that Devin now supports Android emulators. The company said Devin can spin up an Android Virtual Device, build and run Android applications directly on its own machine, inspect app behavior, reproduce issues and verify changes in the environment where the application runs. Cognition said the Android emulator feature is available now for teams using Devin. (aws.amazon.com) The company’s recent release notes also show Devin being distributed as a progressive web app on desktop and mobile, alongside updates for automations and voice follow-ups while Devin is working. Cognition’s earlier acquisition of Windsurf remains part of that broader product buildout. Cognition said in a July 14, 2025 post that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Windsurf, including its product, trademark, brand and team. (cognition.ai) ### Where do the next concrete milestones sit? April 30, 2027 is AWS’s published end-of-support date for Amazon Q Developer IDE plugins and paid subscriptions. (cognition.ai) AWS says new signups stopped on May 15, 2026, and its migration documents direct customers to Kiro for upgraded IDE and CLI tooling. (cognition.ai) June 30, 2026 is the date cited in reporting on Microsoft’s internal move to Copilot CLI, while GitHub’s current documentation continues to add features around remote control, session history and pull-request workflows. Cognition’s Android emulator support is already live for Devin teams, according to the company’s May 13 product post. (winbuzzer.com) (aws.amazon.com)