1. Under the View menu select Command Palette... F1 (or press F1 key).

  2. Type Python: Select Interpreter.

  3. Choose which Python version to use by default [1].


[1] You can safely disregard the "Recommended" hint, which is usually the bare bones system one, without access to your custom packages.

Answer from Natsfan on Stack Overflow
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › vscode python version
r/learnpython on Reddit: vscode python version
February 13, 2024 -

Hello

The bottom right corner of VScode says that Python 3.12 is installed but when you type python --version in the terminal it returns version 2.7. I need it to be 3.12 in the terminal so I can pip install stuff.

Can someone explain what the hell I need to do, because i've been stuck trying to figure this out for three days now.

I'm new to vscode and i've only taken one course in python so please be nice

Thankyou for your help

Discussions

Issue with the interpreter in Visual Studio Code
I have to have Visual Studio downloaded on my Microsoft Surface Pro, 11th Edition; and what I've done so far is: First download Python from the web, I've gotten the version 3.14(64-bit), I've opened it and have tested if it works, it does. Then I've… More on learn.microsoft.com
🌐 learn.microsoft.com
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October 23, 2025
How can i get the latest Python Version in Vscode?
VSCode and python are 2 completely separate programs. You need to install python 3.12 first, and then change the interpreter in vscode to match. Just out of curiosity, why do you want 3.12? There's no huge feature updates from 3.10. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
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November 10, 2023
Which version of Python is actually being used in VSCode?
You can try to run any script, VS Code will show the full path to in interpreter in use in the Terminal. My guess would be the conda's Python, you probably haven't add your conda's Python to path, that's why the default system Python 2.7 is shown. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
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May 26, 2022
Visual Studio Code is using Python interpreter that does not exist?
Hi! I have a problem with different python versions. My terminal shows Python 3.8 but in VSC it says 3.9. However I can not change to 3.8 inside of VSC, neither can I find the path VSC is showing (/bin/python) in my files. I attached the screenshots. I just installed zorin and VSC (no python ... More on forum.zorin.com
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November 13, 2021
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Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › 76240838 › how-to-tell-vs-code-to-use-the-correct-python
How to tell VS Code to use the correct Python? - Stack Overflow
If a workspace is setup, check the lower right portion of VS Code, and click on the displayed Python interpreter, it should show a modal at the top with the path. OR, from the terminal, do which python or which python3 which would give the full path.
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › python › environments
Python environments in VS Code
November 3, 2021 - By default, the debugger uses your selected environment. To use a different interpreter for debugging, set the python property in your launch.json debug configuration. Select the Python version in the Status Bar to switch environments.
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Posit
docs.posit.co › ide › server-pro › user › vs-code › guide › python-environments.html
Python Environments in VS Code – Posit Workbench Documentation Release 2026.01.2
If you want to enable the Jupyter ... will use the version of Python associated with the python command. You can check what version by typing python --version in the terminal....
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YouTube
youtube.com › codemake
check python version visual studio code - YouTube
Download this code from https://codegive.com Visual Studio Code (VSCode) is a popular code editor that supports various programming languages, including Pyth...
Published   December 20, 2023
Views   1K
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › python › python-tutorial
Getting Started with Python in VS Code
November 3, 2021 - Note: To verify that you've installed Python successfully on your machine, run one of the following commands (depending on your operating system): Linux/macOS: open a Terminal Window and type the following command: ... If the installation was ...
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TechBloat
techbloat.com › home › how to check python version in vscode
How to Check Python Version in VSCode - TechBloat
March 2, 2026 - Once you’ve selected the interpreter, the version details typically appear at the bottom-left corner of VSCode in the status bar. It displays the full Python version and the path to the interpreter. For a more detailed check, open the integrated terminal within VSCode (Ctrl+`).
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Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-au › answers › questions › 5594952 › issue-with-the-interpreter-in-visual-studio-code
Issue with the interpreter in Visual Studio Code - Microsoft Q&A
October 23, 2025 - Or, manually add Python to your PATH environment variable. 1. **Check if Python works in VS Code’s terminal** Open a new terminal in VS Code (`Ctrl + ~`) and type: ```python python --version ``` or ```python py --version ``` 1.
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SuperOps
superops.com › superops blog › blog › how to check the python version?
How to check the Python version in quick and easy steps
1 day ago - With Python's rapid evolution and different projects requiring specific versions, knowing which version you're running prevents compatibility errors and security vulnerabilities. This guide covers command-line methods, IDE checks, virtual environments, and package managers to identify your Python version quickly.
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Enterprise DNA
blog.enterprisedna.co › how-to-check-python-version-windows-mac-linux
How to Check Python Version – Windows, Mac, Linux – Master Data Skills + AI
In the section below, we will explore how to check Python version in two of the most popular IDEs for Python programming: VSCode and PyCharm.
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FavTutor
favtutor.com › blogs › check-python-version
How to Check Python Version (on Windows or using code)
May 1, 2023 - But if you have multiple versions of Python installed on your system, you can specify the version number to get the exact detail. You can check the version of Python 3 by typing 'python3 --version' command prompt.
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Quora
quora.com › How-can-I-change-the-python-version-in-my-visual-studio-code-terminal
How to change the python version in my visual studio code terminal - Quora
Answer (1 of 3): This is how I solved the issue of using different versions of Python on Windows. 1. Download Python 2.x and Python 3.x , install them. 2. Add [code ]C:\Python35;C:\Python35\Scripts;C:\Python27;C:\Python27\Scripts[/code] to environment variable [code ]PATH[/code]. 3. Go to [code ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › which version of python is actually being used in vscode?
r/learnpython on Reddit: Which version of Python is actually being used in VSCode?
May 26, 2022 -

At the bottom right of my VSCode window it says: Python 3.8.5 ('base': conda).

However, when I run the command in the VSCode terminal: "python --version" it returns 2.7.16,

and when I run the command: "python3 --version" it returns 3.9.12.

So which one is actually being used when running scipts?

Top answer
1 of 3
2
You can try to run any script, VS Code will show the full path to in interpreter in use in the Terminal. My guess would be the conda's Python, you probably haven't add your conda's Python to path, that's why the default system Python 2.7 is shown.
2 of 3
2
You have multiple versions of python installed. CMD/Powershell terminals are giving you the 2.7 or 3.9 based on your Path system environment variables because you don't have a virtual environment activated. VSCode is giving you 3.8 because that's the interpreter/environment it's been instructed to use from the project's settings.json file, which you should be able to find in your /.vscode folder. You can click on the python version in the tool bar to open the Command Palette to select a different interpreter to use or open it from the gear icon in the bottom left or use Ctrl+Shift+P, then search for "interpreter". To change which version Windows terminals default to using you can edit your system environment variables by going to your start menu (hit the windows key on your keyboard, if you have one) type "env" and the first application to show should be "Edit System Environment Variables". On the system properties dialog, click on "Environment Variables", select "Path" and then "Edit". These are the paths Windows searches through (top to bottom) for a matching .exe when you type a program name in the terminal. It'll use the first match it finds. Here you should see a path to each python version installed. You can use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to prioritize which version will serve as the default. At this point, unless you have a real need for 2.7, you might as well uninstall it as it is no longer supported.
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › languages › python
Python in Visual Studio Code
November 3, 2021 - Note: To help get you started with Python development, you can use the Python profile template that includes useful extensions, settings, and Python code snippets. Once you have a version of Python installed, select it using the Python: Select Interpreter command.
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CodeGenes
codegenes.net › blog › how-to-change-python-version-in-vscode
Mastering Python Version Switching in Visual Studio Code — codegenes.net
In the bottom-left corner of the VSCode window, you can see the currently selected Python interpreter. Click on the Python interpreter name in the status bar. A list of available interpreters will appear, and you can select the one you want.
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PythonGeeks
pythongeeks.net › головна › how to check my python version in cmd, terminal, or ide
How to Check Python Version on Windows, Mac, Linux
October 24, 2025 - Here, PyCharm will display the Python interpreter currently associated with the project, including the version number. VSCode’s flexibility makes it a popular choice among developers. Here’s how you can check the Python version within this IDE.
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Super User
superuser.com › questions › 1823161 › vscode-integrated-terminal-pointing-to-different-python-version
visual studio code - VSCode Integrated terminal pointing to different python version - Super User
December 26, 2023 - See screenshot, the above is my regular terminal, and the one below is VSCode's integrated terminal. The terminal is configured to use /bin/bash and .py files to run with $pythonPath -u $fullFileName. The selected interpreter is ~/venv/bin/python3.11 I've also already tried "python.terminal.activateEnvironment": false to prevent source /home/wsiz01/venv/bin/activate although this didn't make a difference. Does anyone have an idea of what might be going on here? ... Try in Terminal>Integrated>Env: Enable Persistent Sessions to toggle this option off and restarting VSCode, to clear the PATH cache.