Editor: Go to Next/Previous Change in file without opening diff editor

[Nedunchezhiyan-M]

Feature Request

Problem

VS Code shows git change markers (gutters) in edited files, but navigating between individual changes requires either:

• Opening the full diff editor (overkill for quick navigation)
• Scrolling manually and eyeballing the gutter markers
• Using the diff editor's navigation buttons (requires a mode switch)

There is workbench.action.editor.nextChange / workbench.action.editor.previousChange but these only work when the diff editor is focused, not in the regular editor view.

Proposed Solution

Add commands that navigate between hunks within the regular editor view:

• "Go to Next Change in File" — navigates to the next git hunk in the current editor (default: Alt+] or ]c in vim-style)
• "Go to Previous Change in File" — navigates to the previous git hunk (default: Alt+[)

These should work the same as ]c / [c in vim's diff mode, or the "next change" buttons in JetBrains — navigating to the start of the next/previous changed section.

Behavior

• Moves cursor to the first line of the next/previous changed hunk
• Shows a small peek-style diff (similar to the existing inline diff peek that appears when you click a gutter icon)
• Wraps around (goes from last change back to first)

Status Bar / Breadcrumb enhancement

Optionally show change count in the file in the status bar: ⟳ 3 changes — clicking cycles through them.

Why This Matters

Quick in-file change navigation is essential for code review workflows. Right now, reviewing your own changes in a file means either using the diff editor (heavy) or scrolling (slow). Navigation commands make change review snappy.

Related

• Existing: Alt+F3 cycles through editor selections in multi-cursor mode — similar concept
• Existing: The inline diff peek (clicking gutter) already shows the right UI — we just need keyboard nav to reach it

[alexr00]

We do not recommend issues for typos in source code.