JetBrains just released PhpStorm 2026.3, the third major PhpStorm update of 2026. JetBrains leads the release with Air, a workspace for coding agents. The release also adds PHP 8.6 support and new Laravel inspections, and it fixes UI freezes in Composer projects. It follows PhpStorm 2026.2.
Some of the highlights include:
- PHP 8.6 support, with migration inspections and quick-fixes
- New Laravel inspections and a Processes tab in the Laravel tool window
- Type inference fixes for generics, callables, and array shapes
- Git worktrees that copy your local
.ideaconfiguration - A terminal built on libghostty, with terminal tabs in the editor
- Freeze fixes, WSL setup improvements, and remote development over SSH from the IDE
- Air, a workspace for running coding agents and reviewing their changes
What's New
PHP 8.6 Support
PHP 8.6 is due later this November, and PhpStorm 2026.3 already supports it. For background on the language changes, see what's new in PHP 8.6. You can set the language level in settings under PHP | PHP language level, or through the php requirement in composer.json.
If your project targets PHP 8.5 or earlier, PhpStorm reports 8.6-only syntax and calls to new functions such as clamp(). For a readonly property with a default value, it offers an Initialize property in constructor quick-fix. You also get completion and type inference for the new functions, classes, and APIs.
If you use agents, you can turn on PhpStorm's MCP server so agents can run these inspections and apply the quick-fixes. PhpStorm 2026.3 also bundles a php-runtime-tools skill. It gives the agent your project's PHP interpreter, so the agent doesn't fall back to the system php binary with the wrong version or missing extensions.
Laravel Inspections and a Processes Tab
PhpStorm 2026.3 adds three Laravel inspections:
- Unknown config keys
- Laravel routes for missing resource route methods
- Unknown Livewire component method
These inspections catch config keys and methods that don't exist. That kind of mistake looks correct in a diff and only fails at runtime. The inspections run in the editor and through the MCP server, so an agent can check its own changes too.
The Laravel tool window also gets a Processes tab for long-running processes such as the dev server, queue workers, and npm dev commands. From that tab you can list, start, stop, and restart them, and you can view their output. You don't have to switch between terminal tabs to do it.
Type Inference
PhpStorm 2026.3 improves type inference for generics templates, callables, and array shapes. The fixes include support for:
- The
@param-closure-thistag - Parameter types from PHPDoc callable signatures
- Templates in
@methoddeclarations - Return types for generic factories that take a
class-string<T>argument - Arrays built with the spread operator
Git Worktrees
PhpStorm 2026.1 added Git worktree support. In 2026.3, PhpStorm copies your local project configuration into new worktrees, including run configurations and other settings stored in .idea. You don't have to commit those settings or recreate them for each worktree.
You can list local and ignored files in .worktreeinclude for the IDE to copy. You can also set a script to run when PhpStorm creates a worktree, for example to install dependencies.
You can now open a GitHub pull request or GitLab merge request in a separate worktree. Your current branch and uncommitted changes stay where they are, so you can review without stashing. GitLab accounts can also connect through OAuth in the browser instead of a personal access token. This works with GitLab.com and custom GitLab instances.
Terminal
The PhpStorm terminal now runs on libghostty, the terminal emulation library behind Ghostty. JetBrains says this improves keyboard shortcuts, emoji, and styling in terminal apps, including agents like Claude Code, Codex, and Junie.
You can move a terminal tab into the editor area by dragging it, by choosing Open as Editor Tab, or with Alt+Shift+Enter. This works while a session is running. If you try to close a tab with a running session, or restart the IDE, PhpStorm warns you first.
Freeze Fixes and Error Reporting
JetBrains moved blocking operations off the UI thread. This fixes user-reported freezes in Composer projects, deployment connections, Twig debugging, and type inference.
PhpStorm 2026.3 also sends error and UI freeze reports to JetBrains automatically. According to JetBrains, the reports contain only technical data, and the IDE strips file paths, URLs, and usernames before a report leaves your machine. You can turn reporting off in Settings | Appearance & Behavior | System Settings | Data Sharing. The FAQ has the details.
WSL
If you work in WSL on Windows, setup takes fewer steps:
- PhpStorm detects every PHP binary in your WSL distribution and fills in the connection, distribution, and binary path for each one.
- Xdebug works with a WSL interpreter without extra network setup, because PhpStorm forwards the debugger connection into the distribution.
- The file chooser in the quality tool, test framework, and Composer settings opens files in the WSL distribution and inserts the Linux path.
Remote Development
You can connect to a remote host over SSH from inside PhpStorm. From there you can start a development session or reconnect to an existing one.
A new light mode opens the remote project while the remote IDE is still downloading and starting. You get editing, the terminal, and file search right away. When the remote IDE is ready, the session switches to full mode and keeps your state.
JetBrains IDEs now use OpenSSH for SSH connections. That adds support for certificate-based authentication, hardware tokens such as YubiKey, kerberos-sspi, X11 forwarding, ProxyJump, and more SSH agents and wrappers.
Air for Coding Agents
Air is a new agent layer in JetBrains IDEs. It works with Claude Agent, Codex, Gemini, GitHub Copilot, Junie, OpenCode, and other ACP-compatible agents. Air detects the agents already on your machine. Your existing provider subscriptions, API keys, and custom base URLs all work, and you don't need a JetBrains AI subscription. A free Junie Lite configuration is included, and it only needs a JetBrains Account.
Agent sessions, project files, and diffs open side by side in editor tabs. You can attach a note to a specific line in a diff, or comment from the code, and send it back to the agent. Air can also run SQL from the chat and reference database objects with completion.
Other Changes
- A new Home window replaces the Welcome screen. You can edit a file, run terminal commands, use database tools, or run Git actions without opening a project.
- Sound cues for screen reader users, covering editor line marks such as errors, warnings, and version control changes, plus events like builds, tests, and breakpoint hits.
- Cross-database queries through a new in-memory Workspace data source based on DuckDB, even across different database systems.
- The LSP Connection Manager plugin lets you connect any Language Server Protocol server from Settings | Languages & Frameworks | Language Servers.
You can download PhpStorm 2026.3 from JetBrains. The release post has screenshots and the full list of changes.
