Cursor Upgrade & Migration

Upgrade Cursor IDE versions, migrate from VS Code, and transfer configurations between machines.

Version Upgrades

Auto-Update (Recommended)

Cursor checks for updates automatically. When available:

1. A notification appears: "A new version is available"
2. Click "Restart to Update" or go to Help > Check for Updates
3. Cursor downloads, installs, and restarts

Manual Update

If auto-update fails or is disabled:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew upgrade --cask cursor

# macOS/Linux/Windows: Download latest from
# https://cursor.com/download

# Linux AppImage: replace the old file
curl -fSL https://download.cursor.com/linux/appImage/x64 -o cursor.AppImage
chmod +x cursor.AppImage

Pre-Upgrade Checklist

[ ] Note current version: Help > About
[ ] Check release notes: changelog.cursor.sh
[ ] Backup settings:
    macOS: cp -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Cursor/User ~/cursor-settings-backup
    Linux: cp -r ~/.config/Cursor/User ~/cursor-settings-backup
[ ] Export extension list:
    cursor --list-extensions > extensions-backup.txt
[ ] Commit any unsaved work to git
[ ] Note any custom keybindings (keybindings.json)

Post-Upgrade Verification

[ ] Cursor launches without errors
[ ] Sign-in still active (check top-right user icon)
[ ] AI features work: try Cmd+L, type a question
[ ] Tab completion works: type code, see ghost text
[ ] Extensions loaded: Cmd+Shift+X, verify list
[ ] Custom keybindings preserved: test your shortcuts
[ ] Project rules still load: @Cursor Rules in chat
[ ] Indexing status: check status bar

VS Code to Cursor Migration

Automatic Import (First Launch)

On first launch, Cursor detects VS Code and offers one-click import:

What migrates:
  ✅ settings.json (editor preferences)
  ✅ keybindings.json (custom shortcuts)
  ✅ User snippets
  ✅ Color themes
  ✅ Compatible extensions (from Open VSX Registry)

What does NOT migrate:
  ❌ Microsoft-exclusive extensions (Copilot, Live Share, Remote-SSH)
  ❌ Extension login states / databases
  ❌ Workspace trust settings
  ❌ Task configurations (.vscode/tasks.json -- copies but may need adjustment)