GitHub Copilot 2026-09-01
Copilot drops some Claude / Gemini — that is not Anthropic API retirement day
GitHub changelog 2026-07-31: on 2026-09-01 Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask/agent, and completions deprecate Gemini 3.1 Pro, Claude Opus 4.5/4.6, Claude Sonnet 4.5/4.6, and Raptor Mini. Suggested alternative for Sonnet 4.5 is Claude Sonnet 5. Individual annual Copilot keeps Sonnet 4.6; monthly and enterprise do not. Anthropic API’s Sonnet 4.5 bound remains not sooner than 2026-09-29.
Four facts you can quote
Copilot-wide deprecation day
Changelog: across all GitHub Copilot experiences, including Chat, inline edits, ask and agent modes, and code completions. No action required to remove models once deprecated.
The named table
Gemini 3.1 Pro → Gemini 3.6 Flash; Opus 4.5/4.6 → Opus 4.7 / 4.8 / 5; Sonnet 4.5 → Sonnet 5; Sonnet 4.6 → Sonnet 5 (with a carve-out); Raptor Mini → MAI-Code-1-Flash.
The written exception
Claude Sonnet 4.6 remains available to individual GitHub Copilot subscribers on annual plans. Monthly and enterprise still lose 4.6 on 09-01. Sonnet 4.5 has no matching sentence.
Split from Anthropic’s table
On the Messages API, claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 was still Active on 2026-08-30, bound not sooner than 2026-09-29. Copilot’s calendar is not Console API’s calendar.
A Copilot catalog refresh, not Claude vanishing from the internet
GitHub decides which models the Copilot picker still offers. After 09-01, workflows hard-coded to Opus 4.5 or Sonnet 4.5 lose those rows in Copilot. Anthropic and Google keep their own API clocks. Enterprise admins may still need to enable replacements in Copilot model policy — the changelog says that sentence.
Why this collides with Sonnet 5 pricing chatter in late August
Some weekly roundups put “Copilot deprecations” and “Sonnet 5 intro pricing ends” on the same 09-01 list. Anthropic confirmed $2/$10 as the standard Sonnet 5 rate on 2026-08-10; the planned 09-01 hike to $3/$15 was cancelled. Copilot’s 09-01 still happens. Do not merge them into “Claude gets more expensive and disappears.”
Timeline
GitHub: Claude Sonnet 5 generally available in Copilot (Pro / Pro+ / Max / Business / Enterprise); enterprises enable it in model policy.
Upcoming August 2026 model deprecations in GitHub Copilot. One deprecation date: 2026-09-01, plus a Suggested alternative table.
Listed models leave Copilot experiences per the changelog. Annual individuals can still see Sonnet 4.6. The API 4.5 snapshot is not Retired on this day.
Confirmed vs rumor
Confirmed
Date, six-row table, surface scope, annual-individual Sonnet 4.6 carve-out, admins may need to enable alternatives: GitHub changelog 2026-07-31. API 4.5 still Active: Anthropic deprecation table fetched 2026-08-30.
Rumor / misread
“09-01 the Claude API also retires Sonnet 4.5” — the API table does not say that. “Everyone loses Sonnet 4.6 on 09-01” — annual individuals are exempted. “Sonnet 5 jumps to $3/$15 that day” — the hike was cancelled 08-10 and is unrelated to Copilot’s catalog.
Stay on Copilot vs bring your own API
Stay on Copilot: change the picker before 09-01
Move to Sonnet 5 / Opus 4.7+ / Gemini 3.6 Flash per the changelog. Enterprises check policy. Annual individuals who still want 4.6 should confirm plan type. GitHub removes the old rows; you do not delete them by hand.
Move the agent off Copilot: your own API
Copilot is a GitHub product. If you want Claude models without Copilot’s catalog, call ids that actually take traffic (for example claude-sonnet-5, claude-opus-5) at official price × service fee. This page does not describe Copilot as a QCode feature.
Migration checklist (official mechanism)
Inventory hard-coded Copilot model names. Replace from the 2026-07-31 table. Enterprises enable replacement model policy. Do not use Copilot’s 09-01 to rewrite Messages API retirement plans. This page does not describe bypassing Copilot model policy or spoofing clients.
QCode is not GitHub Copilot
This page is about Copilot’s catalog. QCode does not host Copilot and does not promise that every Copilot id is sold here as Copilot. If you need Claude via API after 09-01, only models that actually take calls, at official price × service fee. Unverified ids such as Gemini 3.1 Pro are not treated as provisioned here.
FAQ
Which Claude models leave Copilot on 09-01?
Changelog: Claude Opus 4.5, Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.5, Sonnet 4.6 (annual individuals may keep 4.6). Suggested alternatives: Opus 4.7/4.8/5 and Sonnet 5.
What about Gemini 3.1 Pro?
The table’s suggested alternative is Gemini 3.6 Flash. That is Copilot catalog advice, not a Google API retirement notice.
Do enterprises get Sonnet 5 automatically?
Changelog: Copilot Enterprise admins may need to enable the alternative in model policy before it appears in VS Code / github.com pickers.
Is 09-01 Anthropic retiring Sonnet 4.5?
No. On 2026-08-30 the API table still lists claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 as Active, bound not sooner than 2026-09-29.
What is Raptor Mini?
The changelog puts it on the same 09-01 table, alternative MAI-Code-1-Flash. This page does not turn that row into a review.
Can I “keep Copilot’s old models” on QCode?
Copilot is GitHub’s product surface. QCode is an API. Only models actually sold can be called; do not read Copilot’s deprecation table as an automatic catalog on this site.
Sources
GitHub changelog 2026-07-31 https://github.blog/changelog/2026-07-31-upcoming-august-2026-model-deprecations-in-github-copilot (rechecked 2026-08-30). Sonnet 5 GA in Copilot: 2026-06-30 changelog. API 4.5 status: platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/model-deprecations (2026-08-30). Sonnet 5 $2/$10 standard rate confirmed 2026-08-10 — a different fact from Copilot’s catalog.
Copilot follows GitHub’s calendar; the API is a different clock
09-01 binds Copilot surfaces. For your own Claude API, official price × service fee on models that are actually sold.
Related
Claude Code vs Cursor
Tooling comparison if you move the agent off Copilot — not a Copilot review.
AI coding tools review
Catalog-level tooling landscape, so this page stays a deprecation calendar.
Claude Sonnet 5
Copilot’s suggested alternative for Sonnet 4.5.
Reading of GitHub and Anthropic public changelogs / deprecation tables, not a statement by either vendor. The Copilot picker follows your account and enterprise policy. QCode is not Copilot and does not bypass GitHub model removals.