To sync VS Code settings across devices, sign in with a GitHub or Microsoft account, customize what gets synced, and manually trigger sync when needed. First, open VS Code and sign in via the profile icon or Command Palette using "Sync: Turn on Sync". Next, choose what to sync such as settings, extensions, keybindings, and themes by going to Settings Sync under Preferences. Then, manually sync via "Sync: Sync Now" in the Command Palette when necessary. Additionally, check sync status regularly and sign out on public computers to avoid unintended syncing. In case of conflicts, restore from sync backups available in the same menu.

Using VS Code's settings sync feature is a great way to keep your preferences, extensions, and keybindings consistent across multiple devices. It’s built right into the editor and works seamlessly once you set it up.

Sign in with a Microsoft or GitHub Account

Before syncing anything, you need to sign in using either a GitHub or Microsoft account. This is how VS Code identifies you across different machines.

• Open VS Code
• Click on your profile icon in the lower-left corner (or open the Command Palette with Ctrl Shift P and search for "Sync: Turn on Sync")
• Choose your preferred account provider (GitHub is usually the most common)

Once signed in, your settings sync will be ready to go — but by default, it might not sync everything you want.

Customize What Gets Synced

VS Code syncs a lot by default — like settings, installed extensions, themes, and keybindings. But you can tweak exactly what gets synced if you want more control.

To adjust this:

• Go to File > Preferences > Settings Sync (or use the Command Palette again)
• You’ll see options like “Sync Keybindings”, “Sync Extensions”, etc.
• Toggle off any items you don’t want to sync

This is especially useful if you have some machine-specific settings — like different terminal paths or environment variables — that shouldn’t follow you everywhere.

Manually Trigger a Sync When Needed

By default, VS Code syncs automatically when it detects changes, but sometimes you might want to force a sync — for example, after setting up a new machine or making major preference changes.

You can do this by:

• Opening the Command Palette (Ctrl Shift P)
• Typing “Sync: Sync Now”

It’s also helpful to check the sync status occasionally, especially if you’re working across multiple devices and notice something isn’t matching up. You can view what’s currently being synced under the same Settings Sync menu.

One thing to note: if you're using a shared or public computer, make sure to sign out of your account when you're done. Otherwise, your personal settings and extensions could sync unintentionally.

Also, if you ever run into conflicts — like accidentally overriding your main machine’s settings with an older version — VS Code keeps a history of sync backups. You can restore from one of those if needed, though it’s not always obvious where that option lives (you'll find it under the same sync menu).

That’s pretty much all there is to it. Once you've got your sync preferences set up, you can switch between devices without worrying about reconfiguring everything from scratch.

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