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Title: Feature request: Start Extension Terminal as hidden/background terminal to avoid stealing focus on VS Code #5460
Description
Prerequisites
- I have written a descriptive issue title.
- I have searched all issues to ensure it has not already been reported.
Summary
When VS Code starts, the PowerShell Extension Terminal launches and grabs window/panel focus,
interrupting whatever the user was doing (e.g., opening a file, using the editor).
Expected behavior
The Extension Terminal should start as a hidden background terminal. It should only become
visible/focused when the user explicitly opens it or runs a PowerShell command.
VS Code supports creating terminals in a hidden state via the hideFromUser option in the
terminal API — the extension could leverage this so IntelliSense/language services start
without the terminal panel stealing focus.
Current behavior
On VS Code startup with a .ps1 file open, the Extension Terminal panel opens and takes focus.
Steps to reproduce
- Open VS Code with any PowerShell file
- The Extension Terminal panel activates and steals focus from the editor
The relevant prior issues are #1058 (F5 steals focus, partially resolved via powershell.integratedConsole.focusConsoleOnExecute: false)
Proposed Design
VSCode now supports hidden terminals please use it
Activity
andyleejordan commentedon Apr 8, 2026
We welcome PRs!
andyleejordan commentedon Apr 8, 2026
That said, we already support this:
vscode-powershell/src/process.ts
Lines 149 to 150 in bf3b87f
fix: default showOnStartup to false to prevent terminal panel stealin…
olemartinsorli commentedon Sep 8, 2026
Shereef Marzouk (@Shereef) did you open a Pull Request with this commit?
The terminal should definitively be hidden by default. Or not started at all. I mean; -what is it used for anyway?
Shereef commentedon Sep 8, 2026