If you're still on SSMS v21 (or older), this post is for you. SSMS 22 is a bigger jump than before, and the configuration is nothing like what you're used to. Here's what to expect when you make the move, what's worth configuring, and what's going to surprise you.
Current version as of this writing: 22.5.0, released April 14, 2026.
Installation Is Different Now
SSMS 22 installs through the Visual Studio Installer — a small stub that downloads the rest. This is the same mechanism introduced in v21, so if you've done that before, no change. If you're coming from v20 or earlier, you need to know the installation is with the VS Installer.
The good news: SSMS 22 installs side-by-side with v19, v20, and v21. You don't have to uninstall anything first, and during setup you'll get the option to import your settings from a previous version. Take it — it carries over your registered servers, keyboard shortcuts, and most preferences. I did this a little hesitantly, but no regrets. Very quickly carried everything over from my existing SSMS.
During installation, check the boxes for the components you want. GitHub Copilot and the Query Hint Recommendation Tool are separate workloads — they're not installed by default. If you don't check the box during initial install, you can add it later by opening Visual Studio Installer, selecting Modify on your SSMS 22 installation, and checking Query Hint Recommendation Tool under Code Tools on the Workloads tab.
VERY IMPORTANT: The Encryption Default Changed
This is the one that's going to catch on-premises shops off guard. SSMS 22 defaults the connection dialog to Strict encryption (TDS 8.0). If your SQL Server instance doesn't have a valid SSL certificate configured, you'll get a connection error the first time you try to connect.
A connection was successfully established with the server, but then an error occurred during the login process. (provider: SSL Provider, error: 0 - The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted.)
The fix: in the connection dialog, change Encrypt from Strict to Optional for on-premises instances without a proper certificate. This is the right call for most on-prem environments. Strict encryption is primarily meaningful for Azure SQL and public-facing instances.
What's New
64-bit at last. SSMS was a 32-bit application for its entire life until now. That ceiling is gone. You can keep dozens of query tabs open without hitting out-of-memory errors, and Object Explorer loads deep hierarchies noticeably faster on larger environments.
Themes. Go to Tools\Themes and look at all the options! Cool Slate, Spicy Red, Juicy Plum, and more. Even better, proper dark mode is finally here, and it's consistent across the query editor, Object Explorer, and results grid. I did another writeup on the different flavors here.
Rename and color tabs. Right-click any query tab to rename it. You can also color-code tabs by file extension. Both of these can be very helpful when you're juggling multiple scripts across multiple servers. I really like this and I think it is long overdue.
Zoom the results grid. Ctrl+Scroll to zoom in and out on the results pane. Very cool for presenting or screen sharing without having to manually adjust font sizes everywhere.
Execution plan in a new tab. Right-click an execution plan and select 'Show Execution Plan in New Tab'. Keeps it open for later reference while you continue working in the query editor.
Group by schema in Object Explorer. New in 22.4.1. Toggle it with the icon between Refresh and Show Policy Health in Object Explorer, or set the default under Tools\Options\SQL Server Object Explorer\General. When you work in databases with a lot of schemas, this is a nice addition.
Export results in more formats. The results grid now supports saving to Excel, JSON, Markdown, and XML - not just CSV and text. How long have we been waiting for this? Find it in the Results tab, 'Save Results As' option.
SQL Server 2025 support. If you're on SQL Server 2025 and still running an older SSMS, IntelliSense is flagging valid T-SQL as errors and your execution plans aren't rendering correctly. v22 is the only version that fully understands 2025 syntax - native JSON, vector data types, the new index types, all of it. This alone is reason enough to upgrade.
GitHub Copilot: Now GA, Still Has Gotchas
Copilot in SSMS went GA with 22.4.1. Install it as a workload through Visual Studio Installer, then access it via View\GitHub Copilot Chat. You need an active GitHub Copilot subscription - there's a free tier with monthly limits.
Two modes: the chat window, and inline code completions in the query editor. The code completions are the more immediately useful of the two - they integrate with your existing workflow without requiring you to switch context. Takes a bit to get used to, but definitely helpful when you find the groove. I've covered code completions here and the chat window here.
Worth knowing: early versions had a bug where Copilot was generating 1,200+ API requests in a single day, eating through usage limits. That was fixed in 22.4.1.
Query Hint Recommendation Tool: Also Now GA
Also GA in 22.4.1. Once installed (see above), open it under Tools\Query Hint Recommendation Tool. Highlight a SELECT query, press Start, and it will systematically test query hints against your query and report which ones (if any) improve elapsed time.
Two things to know before you get too excited. Only one of which you can do anything about. First: it only works on single SELECT statements. No DML or stored procedures - only individual SELECTs. Second: the default minimum improvement threshold is 50%, which means it won't recommend a hint unless it cuts elapsed time in half. Change that to 5% under the tool settings or you'll get 'no hints recommended' on almost everything.
Settings Worth Changing
Open a query window on startup. Tools\Options\All Settings\Environment\Startup. Then in At Startup: set to 'Open Object Explorer and query window'. Otherwise SSMS opens to nothing every time. Not bad, I guess. If clicking 'New Query' is too much work.
Turn off the line ending consistency check. Tools\Options\All Settings\Environment\Documents: uncheck 'Check for consistent line endings on load'. This warning fires constantly if you work with .sql files that originated on Linux or mixed environments. It's just noise. Use this option to silence it. Just tested. It works!
Clean up tab names. Tools\Options\All Settings\Text Editor\Editor Tab and Status Bar: set 'Include Login Name' and 'Include Server Name' to false. Tab names become just the file name, which is all you need. Requires an SSMS restart.
Tab position and sorting. Tools\Options\All Settings\Environment\Tabs: tabs can now be displayed on the left side of the editor (between Object Explorer and the query pane), and sorted alphabetically. If you find yourself working with many open scripts, this is much more navigable than the default top bar. I like.
Presenter Mode. View\Presenter Mode\Toggle Presenter Mode. Increases icon, menu, and text sizes across the entire application. If you do any screen sharing or presenting, I would just leave this on permanently. It handles a lot of individual font adjustments in one switch.
What Doesn't Work Well
Redgate tools. SSMS 22.3 initially caused widespread crashes for anyone running SQL Prompt 11 or SQL Search, but it's been fully resolved. SQL Prompt 11.3.10 and later are explicitly confirmed compatible with SSMS 22.5, and Redgate has addressed compatibility on their side as well. If you're on Redgate tools, make sure you're on SQL Prompt 11.3.10 or later before upgrading to 22.5.
General slowness. Multiple users report SSMS 22 feeling slower than v20 or v21, specifically, the Object Explorer expansion. 22.5.0 includes startup time improvements, but the community feedback on performance is mixed. If you have a powerful machine you likely won't notice. If you're on a modest workstation, you're likely going to feel this.
Registered Servers connectivity. Some users report that right-click \ Connect All on a server group in Registered Servers leaves one or two servers in a perpetual 'expanding' state. I haven't been able to replicate this yet, but it's still worth knowing - especially if you use the CMS groups a lot like I do.
Third-party extensions. SSMS 22 doesn't officially support third-party extensions yet — no VSIX support, no marketplace. Microsoft is working on it with no committed timeline. If your workflow depends on non-Redgate SSMS extensions, verify compatibility before upgrading.
Bottom Line
If you're running SQL Server 2025, you need SSMS 22 — full stop. If you're on SQL Server 2019 or 2022 and heavily dependent on Redgate tools or third-party extensions, you should verify compatibility on a non-production instance pre-upgrade. For everyone else, 22.5.0 is stable, the 64-bit upgrade is real, and the new tab and results features are worth the switch. Just don't forget to change the encryption default before you try to connect to anything on-prem.
More to Read
SSMS 22 Release Notes (Microsoft Learn)
Known Issues in SSMS 22 (Microsoft Learn)
Download SSMS 22
My SSMS 22 Configuration - VladDBA (detailed settings walkthrough)
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