Where to find the terminal setting in VS Code

VS Code uses your system's default terminal by default, but you can change it to any terminal installed on your computer. The setting lives in VS Code's preferences, not in your system settings. You reach it through the Command Palette — the fastest way to change almost anything in VS Code.

Open the Command Palette by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac. Type "terminal default" and you will see "Terminal: Select Default Profile" appear. Click it or press Enter.

A list of terminals installed on your computer will appear. Click the one you want to use. That terminal will now open every time you use the integrated terminal in VS Code — when you press Ctrl+` (the backtick key, usually below Escape) or go to Terminal > New Terminal in the menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) and search for "Terminal: Select Default Profile" to see all installed terminals.
  • The terminal you choose becomes the default for that VS Code workspace, so different projects can use different terminals if you change it again later.
  • Common terminal options include Command Prompt, PowerShell, Git Bash on Windows; bash or zsh on Mac; and bash or zsh on Linux.
  • If your preferred terminal does not appear in the list, it is not installed on your system — you will need to install it first before VS Code can use it.

What terminals are available on each operating system

Windows comes with Command Prompt and PowerShell built in. If you have installed Git for Windows, Git Bash will also appear in the list. PowerShell is more powerful than Command Prompt and is what most developers choose. Command Prompt is older and simpler, but still works for basic tasks.

Mac comes with zsh as the default terminal (on newer versions) or bash (on older versions). Both are Unix-based shells that work similarly. If you have installed other shells like fish or zsh through Homebrew, they will appear in the list once you restart VS Code.

Linux distributions come with bash or zsh depending on the distribution. Most developers on Linux stick with what came with their system. If you have installed other shells, they will appear in the list after you restart VS Code.

How to change the terminal for just one project

The terminal you select applies to your entire VS Code installation by default. If you want one project to use a different terminal than your others, you can set it in the project's settings file instead.

Create or open the file .vscode/settings.json in your project folder. Add this line inside the curly braces: "terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.windows": "PowerShell" (replace "PowerShell" with your terminal name and "windows" with "osx" for Mac or "linux" for Linux). Save the file. Now when you open this project, that terminal will be the default, but your other projects will still use whatever you set globally.

Terminals that are not showing up in the list

If you installed a terminal but it does not appear when you select the default profile, restart VS Code completely. Close all windows and reopen the program. VS Code scans for installed terminals when it starts, so a fresh start usually makes new terminals visible.

If restarting does not work, the terminal may not be installed in a location VS Code checks. On Windows, make sure the terminal is in your system PATH — a setting that tells Windows where to find programs. On Mac and Linux, the same applies. If you installed a terminal but it is not in PATH, VS Code cannot find it. Check the terminal's installation instructions for how to add it to PATH.

Why you might want to change terminals

PowerShell on Windows is more modern and handles file paths better than Command Prompt, especially if you work with code that runs on both Windows and Mac or Linux. Git Bash on Windows gives you Unix-style commands even though you are on Windows, which is useful if you are used to Mac or Linux.

On Mac, zsh and bash work almost identically for most tasks, so switching between them rarely matters unless you have shell scripts or configuration files that depend on one or the other. On Linux, the choice is usually already made by your distribution, and changing it is rarely necessary.

How to set a terminal that is not in the default list

If you have installed a terminal in a non-standard location, or if VS Code is not finding it, you can tell VS Code exactly where to find it. Open your VS Code settings by pressing Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (Mac). Search for "terminal.integrated.profiles" and click "Edit in settings.json".

You will see a section that lists terminal profiles. Add a new entry with the full path to your terminal. For example, on Windows: "MyTerminal": { "path": "C:\\Program Files\\MyTerminal\\terminal.exe" }. On Mac or Linux, use the full path like "/usr/local/bin/myterminal". Save the file, restart VS Code, and your terminal will appear in the default profile list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing the default terminal in VS Code change my system's default terminal?

No. The setting only affects VS Code. Your system's default terminal — the one that opens when you click a terminal icon on your desktop or in your file manager — stays the same. This setting is just for the integrated terminal inside VS Code.

Can I use a terminal that is not installed on my computer?

No. VS Code can only show you terminals that are actually installed. If your preferred terminal does not appear in the list, you will need to install it first. Check the terminal's website for installation instructions for your operating system.

What happens if I delete the terminal I set as default?

If you uninstall the terminal you chose, VS Code will fall back to your system's default terminal the next time you open a new terminal. You can then select a different default using the Command Palette again.

Do I need to restart VS Code after changing the default terminal?

No. The change takes effect when ready. The next time you open a new terminal (Ctrl+` or Terminal > New Terminal), it will use the terminal you selected. Any terminals that were already open will keep using the old terminal.

Can different folders in the same VS Code window use different terminals?

If you have multiple folders open in a VS Code workspace, they all share the same default terminal setting. To use different terminals for different projects, you would need to open them in separate VS Code windows, or set a project-specific override in each folder's .vscode/settings.json file.