Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is arguably the most powerful code editor available today, largely due to its intelligent features. However, there is a fine line between “helpful” and “annoying.”

For many developers, the constant barrage of pop-up menus, parameter hints, and “ghost text” completions can break their flow. Whether you are presenting your screen, finding the pop-ups distracting, or simply want to code from memory to strengthen your syntax knowledge, taking control of these suggestions is essential.

This comprehensive guide will show you exactly how to disable auto-suggestions in VS Code, ranging from a complete shutdown to granular controls for specific languages.

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The Quickest Fix (JSON Method)

If you just want to stop the pop-ups immediately without navigating through menus, here is the fastest method. This targets the “IntelliSense” dropdown menu that appears while typing.

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P or Cmd + Shift + P on Mac).
2. Type “Open User Settings (JSON)” and hit Enter.
3. Add or modify the following lines inside the curly braces { ... }:

JSON

"editor.quickSuggestions": {
    "other": false,
    "comments": false,
    "strings": false
},
"editor.suggestOnTriggerCharacters": false

Save the file (Ctrl + S), and the distraction will be gone instantly.

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Method 1: Disabling IntelliSense (The Dropdown Menu)

“IntelliSense” refers to the dropdown list that appears automatically to suggest variables, functions, and methods. While useful, it can obscure the code below it.

Option A: The Settings UI (Visual Method)

If you prefer clicking checkboxes over writing JSON code:

1. Open Settings by pressing Ctrl + , (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + , (Mac).
2. In the search bar at the top, type “Quick Suggestions”.
3. You will see a setting named Editor: Quick Suggestions.
4. You will see three categories: other, comments, and strings.
   • On: Suggestions appear automatically.
   • Off: Suggestions never appear automatically.
   • Inline: Suggestions appear as ghost text (rarely used for this specific setting).
5. Set all of them to “Off” to disable the automatic popup.

Note: Even with this disabled, you can still manually trigger suggestions whenever you actually need them by pressing Ctrl + Space.

Option B: Disabling “Trigger Characters”

Sometimes, suggestions pop up just because you typed a dot (.) or a parenthesis (. This is controlled by a separate setting.

1. Search for “Suggest On Trigger Characters” in Settings.
2. Uncheck the box.
3. Now, typing console. will not immediately blast a list of methods in your face.

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Method 2: Disabling Inline Suggestions (Ghost Text/Copilot)

Modern VS Code updates have introduced “Inline Suggestions.” This is the grey “ghost text” that appears ahead of your cursor, often powered by AI tools like GitHub Copilot or built-in logic.

This is different from the dropdown menu. To turn this off:

1. Open Settings (Ctrl + ,).
2. Search for “Inline Suggest”.
3. Find Editor: Inline Suggest > Enabled.
4. Uncheck the box.

Alternatively, add this to your settings.json:

JSON

"editor.inlineSuggest.enabled": false

Why do this? If you are currently learning to code, seeing the answer before you type it can be detrimental. When you are mastering the syntax of even the easiest programming language to learn, relying too heavily on auto-complete can actually hinder your memory retention and problem-solving skills.

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Method 3: The “Middle Ground” (Delay & Keybinding)

Many professional developers don’t want to kill suggestions entirely; they just want them to be less aggressive. The secret weapon here is the Delay setting.

By default, VS Code shows suggestions after just 10ms—basically instantly. You can increase this delay so suggestions only appear if you stop typing and “think” for a second.

1. Search for “Quick Suggestions Delay” in Settings.
2. Change the value from 10 to 500 (half a second) or 1000 (one second).

Now, if you are typing fast, the editor stays out of your way. The menu will only politely appear when you pause to catch your breath.

The “Manual Mode” Strategy Another popular approach is to disable auto suggestions entirely (Method 1) but train yourself to hit Ctrl + Space manually. This puts you in the driver’s seat: you ask for help only when you need it, rather than having the editor guess what you want.

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How to Disable Suggestions for Specific Languages Only

There are times when you need IntelliSense for complex languages like TypeScript or C#, but you want a distraction-free experience when writing Markdown or plain text.

VS Code allows for language-specific settings.

1. Open your settings.json.
2. Add a block specifically for the language you want to silence (e.g., Markdown):

JSON

"[markdown]": {
    "editor.quickSuggestions": false,
    "editor.wordBasedSuggestions": false
}

This configuration ensures that while you are coding, you get support, but when you are writing documentation, you are left alone to write.

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Conclusion

Turning off auto-suggestions in VS Code is not about rejecting help; it is about reclaiming your focus. Whether you choose to disable them globally via editor.quickSuggestions, silence the AI ghost text, or simply increase the delay, the goal is to create an environment that matches your thinking speed.

If you disable the built-in inline suggestions but still want powerful AI assistance on your own terms, you might want to explore the Web Tools Pilot: The AI Powered Toolkit for a curated list of specialized alternatives that might fit your workflow better than the defaults.

You now have full control over your editor. Try coding with suggestions off for an hour—you might be surprised at how much calmer the experience feels.

VS Code tips — The Editor: Quick suggestions setting This video is highly relevant as it visually demonstrates the editor.quickSuggestions setting in VS Code, which is the core method discussed in the article for disabling auto-suggestions.