New Extension Manager in Visual Studio 2022 v17.10

The Old vs. New Extension Manager UI

At the start of the video, Tim introduces the context: the previous extension manager in Visual Studio was a modal popup window. When you navigated to Extensions → Manage Extensions, the window that appeared blocked the rest of the IDE, preventing access to other parts of your project or source code while the window was open. This modal view was small and did not scale well for those using larger font sizes or higher resolution displays.

Tim points out that when viewing user extensions like ReSharper or Visual Assist in the old layout, you were limited to a single line of description. To see more important content such as detailed descriptions, images, or functionality, you had to click out to the Visual Studio Marketplace in your web browser. This approach was inefficient, especially for developers trying to perform quick evaluations before they install extensions.

Enabling the New Extension Manager via Preview Features

As Tim notes, in version 17.10, the updated extension manager is enabled by default, but if you see the old UI, you can re-enable the new one using the preview feature toggle. To do this, go to:

Tools → Options → Environment → Preview Features

Look for the checkbox labeled Extension Manager UI Refresh and make sure it’s checked. If for any reason you want to roll back to the older experience, you can temporarily disable this preview feature by unchecking it. Tim explains that while he disabled it to show the difference, there's currently little reason to go back to the previous extension manager.

Navigating the New Extension Manager Interface

With the new features enabled, Tim demonstrates what happens when you go to Manage Extensions. The new layout loads in a large pane on the left sidebar of the IDE instead of a modal window. This allows developers to browse, search, and filter extensions while keeping other Visual Studio tabs open.

Tim highlights that this new extensions view presents a far more immersive and productive experience. You can see the extension details for tools like ReSharper in full—descriptions, screenshots, and videos—without having to leave the Visual Studio environment. This effectively mirrors the Visual Studio Marketplace interface, only now it’s embedded within the IDE itself.

Also, with this updated extension manager, developers can easily view detailed descriptions, check version numbers, read release notes, and select install—all without needing to open a browser.

Understanding the Primary Views and Categories

Tim shows that the new extension manager now organizes content into clear primary views through tabs at the top:

• Browse: For discovering new extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace.

• Installed: Shows all the installed extensions in your current instance.

• Updates: Lists available updates for any of your extensions.

• Roaming: Displays user extensions that are linked to your Microsoft account and can be easily synced across machines.

He explains that the Roaming Extensions feature is especially helpful if you use multiple development machines. If an extension was installed and linked to your Microsoft account on one system, you can easily re-install it on another without manually downloading the .vsix file again.

Visual Issues and Font Size Bugs

Tim is quick to point out some early UI bugs. When increasing font size using tools like Font Sizer (by Mads Kristensen), some of the elements within the extension manager do not scale properly. For example, version numbers, download stats, and even extension URLs may appear too small or misaligned. In contrast, stars used for ratings display larger than necessary, causing inconsistency in layout.

He mentions that this kind of visual mismatch is likely due to the UI not fully respecting the accessibility or font scaling settings—a key issue for developers using modified environments.

Performing Extension Updates

Updating your installed extensions works largely the same way. If there are any available updates, the Update All or Update buttons appear. Tim demonstrates this by selecting an extension (in his case, Uno) and clicking to update it.

Just like before, updates are scheduled for the next time you restart Visual Studio. Tim notes that the update buttons might look clipped or abbreviated due to the same font rendering quirks mentioned earlier, but the functionality remains solid (5:20).

Uninstalling or Disabling Extensions

One of the changes that might confuse some users is how to disable or uninstall an extension. In the old view, uninstall options were clearer. In the new extension manager, you now have to click the ellipsis (three vertical dots) next to the extension name. This reveals options like Uninstall, Disable, or Modify.

Tim expresses his hope that Microsoft may eventually bring these options to the main UI instead of hiding them in a menu, which would better support intuitive use.

A Huge Improvement for Extension Discovery

Tim emphasizes that this new layout is a major improvement in helping developers discover new extensions. The integrated browser-like experience allows developers to evaluate tools visually and functionally within the IDE. Features like search, filter icons, detailed descriptions, and category tagging make it much easier to find tools relevant to your programming languages, workflow, or project type.

He shows an example—a tool that can generate a REST API client based on a Swagger definition. With the old system, you might never have discovered such tools unless you actively searched for them on the web. Now, these types of tools are easier to find within the Visual Studio UI itself.

Giving Feedback and Participating in Improvements

To close, Tim encourages users to submit feedback if they encounter any other issues or bugs. Visual Studio includes a built-in feedback feature found at:

Help → Send Feedback → Report a Problem or Suggest a Feature

Tim himself has already reported the font scaling issue, and he affirms that the Visual Studio team is actively working on it. He encourages developers to take part in the community-driven improvement of Visual Studio by providing actionable suggestions.

He also gives a shoutout to Mads Kristensen, a prolific Visual Studio extension developer, and recommends trying out his experimental tools, which often provide a glimpse into future IDE features.

Conclusion

The new extension manager in Visual Studio 2022 v17.10 represents a significant leap forward in how developers manage extensions within the IDE. With a tabbed interface, better extension browsing, support for roaming user extensions, and detailed information presented within the application itself, the experience has been vastly improved.

Whether you're a seasoned developer or just exploring the Visual Studio Marketplace for useful tools, this updated extension manager makes discovering, installing, and updating extensions faster and more intuitive.

Be sure to check out Tim Corey’s full video for a hands-on look, and if you’re exploring extensions in Visual Studio, don’t forget to give feedback and help shape the next set of new features in the IDE.\ Do check out his channel for more developer-focused tutorials and insights.