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πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» What's New in Visual Studio Code (2025 Edition) & How to Use It
πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» What's New in Visual Studio Code (2025 Edition) & How to Use It
#vscode#webdev#programming#productivity

πŸ§‘β€πŸ’» What's New in Visual Studio Code (2025 Edition) & How to Use It

Author
Muhammad Hamid Raza
2 min read

VS Code continues to dominate as the most popular lightweight editor for developers β€” and the 2025 release introduces powerful updates that can seriously boost your productivity, workflow, and development experience.

In this blog, we’ll explore the top new features in VS Code (2025) and how you can make the most of them with a clear and enhanced user interface.


⚑ 1. Built-in AI Coding Companion

No extension needed β€” VS Code 2025 now comes with a native AI assistant powered by Copilot and VS IntelliCode.

πŸ” Key Features:

  • 🧠 Inline code suggestions while typing
  • πŸ—£οΈ Natural language to code commands (e.g. "create a login form")
  • πŸ› οΈ Code explanations and refactoring tips

βœ… How to use it:

1. Open Command Palette β†’ "Enable AI Coding Assistant"
2. Use inline comments like `// generate a form` to get code suggestions

πŸ‘€ 2. Profiles for Personalization

VS Code now supports multiple developer profiles to suit different workflows:

🧰 Create personalized environments for:

  • 🎨 Frontend design (e.g., React, Tailwind)
  • πŸ§ͺ Backend APIs (e.g., Node.js, Python)
  • ✍️ Technical writing and blogging

🧭 Get started:

1. Open Command Palette β†’ "Profiles: Create New..."
2. Name it (e.g., "React Dev", "Docs Mode")
3. Switch profiles anytime via the status bar

πŸ—‚οΈ 3. Smart Project Workspaces

Workspaces now support:

  • πŸ’Ύ Saving & restoring files, terminals, extensions
  • πŸ”„ Auto-activation for Node, Python, Docker environments
  • 🀝 Team-shared workspace configurations

πŸ”§ Use it like this:

File > Save Workspace As...
Include .vscode/settings.json for reusable project settings

🌐 4. Enhanced Web Dev Features

VS Code now recognizes your stack instantly:

  • 🧩 Built-in support for Next.js, Astro, and Remix
  • 🎨 Tailwind CSS v4 IntelliSense & autocomplete
  • ⚑ Snippet support for React libraries

πŸ’‘ Tips:

  • Open your Next.js project and enjoy automatic config detection
  • Use Tailwind class hints with improved UX

πŸ§ͺ 5. Revamped Testing UI

A new Test Explorer view makes debugging faster:

  • βœ”οΈ Supports Jest, Vitest, Mocha, and Playwright
  • πŸ“Š Visual test coverage indicators in the margin
  • πŸ” Inline rerun buttons + quick failure logs

πŸ” Access via: View > Testing


πŸ” 6. Secure Development Workflow

VS Code 2025 makes security a priority:

  • πŸ”’ Improved Workspace Trust
  • πŸ” Real-time secrets scanning via GitHub Advanced Security
  • πŸ›‘οΈ Warnings for exposed API keys and tokens

🧷 Enable via: Settings > Security


πŸŒ™ 7. Sleek UI Themes & Layout Improvements

Enjoy a minimalist, modern interface:

  • 🎨 Themes: "Fluent Dark", "Material Solarized"
  • 🧭 Grid layout support (split vertical/horizontal views)
  • πŸ” Tab previews on hover for faster navigation

πŸ”§ Customize via:

Preferences > Color Theme
Preferences > Layout

πŸ“¦ 8. AI-Powered Extension Recommendations

The extension store is smarter than ever:

  • πŸ€– AI-curated tools based on your coding habits
  • πŸ‘₯ Team-wide extension packs
  • πŸ”„ One-click sync across all machines

✨ Let VS Code suggest what fits your tech stack best.


πŸš€ Bonus Tips to Maximize Your VS Code Setup

βœ… Enable Settings Sync to sync across devices βœ… Use Port Forwarding in Remote Development βœ… Explore GitHub Codespaces + VS Code Web βœ… Leverage Live Share for remote collaboration


🧭 Final Thoughts

VS Code 2025 is not just an editor β€” it’s a powerful, intelligent dev environment.

🧩 Whether you’re building frontend interfaces or backend APIs… πŸ” Whether you care about security or performance… πŸ’¬ Whether you’re coding solo or with a global team…

This update makes every aspect of your workflow smoother, faster, and smarter.

πŸ” What’s your favorite new feature in VS Code 2025? Let us know in the comments, and start exploring today!

Author

Muhammad Hamid Raza

Content Author

Originally published on Dev.to β€’ Content syndicated with permission