Live Share

Synchronizes cursor positions, text selections, and viewport state across multiple VS Code instances in real-time using a peer-to-peer or relay-based protocol. Each participant's cursor is rendered with distinct visual indicators, enabling awareness of what other collaborators are viewing and editing. The synchronization operates at sub-second latency, propagating keystroke-level changes without requiring manual refresh or conflict resolution.

Enables multiple participants to edit the same file simultaneously with automatic conflict resolution using either operational transformation (OT) or conflict-free replicated data type (CRDT) algorithms. Changes made by any participant are propagated to all others with character-level granularity, preserving document consistency without requiring manual merge or lock-based editing. The system maintains a single authoritative document state across all clients.

Enables guests to view and navigate the shared workspace without the ability to edit files or execute commands. In read-only mode, guests can see all files, follow the host's navigation, and inspect code, but cannot make changes. This mode is useful for code reviews, demonstrations, and mentoring where guests should observe without modifying the codebase.

Enables collaboration between developers using different operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux). The Live Share protocol is platform-agnostic, allowing a Windows user to pair with a macOS user without compatibility issues. File paths, line endings, and other OS-specific details are automatically normalized to ensure consistency across platforms.

Enables a host developer to share an active debugging session with remote participants, synchronizing breakpoint state, call stack, variable inspection, and step-through execution across all clients. When the host pauses at a breakpoint, all participants see the same call stack and can inspect variables in real-time. Step operations (step-over, step-into, step-out) are visible to all participants, creating a shared debugging context.

Exposes a shared terminal instance running on the host machine, allowing all participants to see command execution, output, and interactive prompts in real-time. Commands executed by any participant are visible to all others, and terminal output is streamed to all connected clients. The terminal maintains a shared history and state, enabling collaborative troubleshooting and build processes.

Exposes local web servers running on the host machine (e.g., localhost:3000, localhost:8080) to remote participants via a publicly accessible URL. Participants can access the web application running on the host without requiring port forwarding, VPN, or firewall configuration. The exposed URL is temporary and tied to the Live Share session, automatically revoked when the session ends.

Propagates language service features (IntelliSense, syntax highlighting, error diagnostics, code formatting) from the host's VS Code instance to remote participants' editors. When the host has language extensions installed (Python, TypeScript, C++, etc.), guests automatically receive the same language services without needing to install extensions locally. This includes real-time error checking, autocomplete suggestions, and hover documentation.

Generates a unique, temporary session URL that can be shared with remote participants to join the Live Share session. The URL is automatically copied to the clipboard and can be distributed via email, chat, or messaging platforms. The session URL is tied to the host's VS Code instance and becomes invalid when the session ends or the host closes VS Code. No built-in invitation system exists — distribution is manual.

Displays a list of active participants in the Live Share session with their current file and line number. The 'Session Details' viewlet shows which file each participant is viewing and allows the host to 'follow' a specific participant, automatically scrolling to their current location. Participant avatars and names are displayed in the editor, enabling awareness of who is editing which sections.

Shares the entire workspace directory with remote participants, enabling them to browse, open, and edit any file in the project. All files are synchronized in real-time, and changes made by any participant are visible to all others. The host can configure which files or folders are shared (UNKNOWN if selective sharing is supported). File access is binary — either the entire workspace is shared or nothing is shared.

Manages user authentication using GitHub or Microsoft accounts, establishing the identity of the host and guests. Sessions are created when the host initiates collaboration and destroyed when the host closes VS Code or manually ends the session. Authentication is required only once per VS Code installation; subsequent sessions reuse the cached credentials. Session lifecycle is tied to the host's VS Code instance — if the host closes VS Code, all guests are disconnected.