Jetbrains Rider - Can't change completions model?

[jwvanderbeck]

Select Topic Area

Question

Copilot Feature Area

JetBrains & Xcode

Body

The documentation on this page: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/how-tos/use-ai-models/change-the-completion-model?tool=jetbrains states I should be able to change the completions model, by clicking on the Copilot icon in the status bar and selecting "Edit Model for Completion" but no such option is in that menu.

If I go into the Copilot settings -> Completions there is a dropdown for the model used, but only GPT 4.1 is available.

According to the documentation on this page: https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/reference/ai-models/supported-models I should have access to other models based on my Copilot Pro subscription. Specifically I am wanting to use one of the Claude flavors for completions, which that page indicates should be available in Rider.

I CAN change the model used in the Copilot Chat, but I want to change it for completions as I rarely use the chat.

[wanbs14]

It looks like the option to change the completion model in GitHub Copilot for JetBrains IDEs isn’t appearing in your menu because of a few likely reasons.

First, the dropdown in Copilot settings → Completions showing only GPT-4.1 is currently expected behavior for most users. While the documentation mentions other models like the Claude flavors, access depends on your subscription level and the IDE/plugin version. Some models may only be available in private or gradual rollouts, so they don’t appear in every IDE immediately.

Here’s what you can do:

Update the Copilot plugin in your JetBrains IDE to the latest version. Older versions might not expose all model options.

Check your Copilot subscription to confirm that your plan includes access to the models you want. Some models, especially Claude flavors, may require a Pro or Enterprise subscription.

Restart your IDE after updating the plugin or subscription settings. Sometimes the model options only appear after a fresh start.

For now, changing the model in Copilot Chat is supported, but completions might remain limited until GitHub gradually rolls out additional models in JetBrains IDEs.

If you’ve done all of the above and still don’t see the models you expect, it’s worth contacting GitHub Support to confirm whether the feature is available for your account and IDE.

[jwvanderbeck]

I did verify I was on the latest version of the plugin and Rider (which I originally wasn't) before posting, and as best I can tell from that page discussing models I should have access to it as per Pro subscription, though to be fair that page looks out of date as there are newer versions of the models that I can see in the Chat side that aren't even listed on that page. So maybe things have changed since the page was last posted, but for example Claude Sonnet 4.5 is shown as being accessible with Copilot Pro and has a check mark under Jetbrains IDE. I do see it under the Copilot Chat sidebar, but not as an option for completions.

[wanbs14]

Thanks for confirming that — it sounds like you’ve already covered all the right steps (updating Rider, the Copilot plugin, and verifying your Pro subscription).

What you’re seeing is actually expected right now. GitHub is still rolling out model selection for completions in JetBrains IDEs separately from Copilot Chat. Even though newer models like Claude Sonnet 4.5 show up under Chat (and the docs mention them as available for Pro), the completions side of Copilot in JetBrains currently supports only GPT-4.1 for most users.

Chat and completions use different back-end endpoints, and GitHub hasn’t fully aligned model access between the two yet. Once they finish expanding model availability, you should see the other models appear automatically in the Model for completions dropdown.

So you’re not missing any setting — it’s just a staged rollout on GitHub’s end.
If you want to double-check whether your account is in the rollout group or get a timeline, you can reach out to GitHub Support.