OpenAI Adds Animated ‘Pets’ to Codex Desktop App to Improve AI Development Workflows
OpenAI has added a “pets” feature to the Codex desktop app, using floating animated characters to show the working status of AI agents. Developers can track task progress without repeatedly switching windows. The design integrates status monitoring into the interface and is intended to improve visibility and interaction in AI-assisted development, rather than facilitate financial transactions.
As of July 20, 2026, Codex pets can reflect an AI agent’s activity in real time through three status indicators and hatch personalized characters based on programming languages the user has recently written, including Rust and Python. OpenAI has not announced separate pricing, a complete list of supported languages or dates for a phased rollout.
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The history behind this eventOpenAI Takes Codex Mobile as GitHub Previews Copilot App
OpenAI’s Codex is an AI agent that can write code, run tests and handle development tasks on a user’s behalf. Its expansion to the ChatGPT mobile app lets developers monitor work while away from their computers. GitHub’s Copilot App, meanwhile, strengthens parallel management of multiple agents and workflows, moving agentic development beyond the editor into a standalone desktop environment.
In July 2026, OpenAI began allowing users to connect remotely through the ChatGPT mobile app to Codex running on a Mac. Users can track progress, review output, approve actions and launch new tasks. During the same period, GitHub released a technical preview of the GitHub Copilot App, a desktop interface for centrally managing multiple workflows and agents. Neither company disclosed pricing or a date for full general availability.
OpenAI Rolls Out Major Codex for macOS Update With Computer Use, Web Browsing and AI Memory
OpenAI launched the Codex macOS app on Feb. 2, 2026, initially focusing on parallel management of multiple coding agents, isolated worktrees and background tasks. A major update on April 16 added Computer Use, a built-in browser, gpt-image-1.5 image generation and a memory preview, expanding Codex from a coding tool into a development agent that can operate across applications. OpenAI did not separately disclose any fees for the update.
The latest expansion began with the Chronicle research preview on April 20, which uses on-device screenshots to create editable memories. OpenAI then open-sourced the Symphony orchestration specification on April 27, after internally increasing pull-request submissions sixfold. On May 14, it enabled users to remotely resume Mac tasks from their phones. On May 21, it added Appshots, continued operation after the Mac is locked and improved browser annotations. The initial rollout also included more than 90 plugins, though some reports put the total at 111.
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