OpenAI Rolls Out Major Codex for macOS Update With Computer Use, Web Browsing and AI Memory

OpenAI’s Codex is an AI coding agent that can read and write code locally, run tests and create Git branches. The desktop app first launched on macOS on February 2, 2026, as a multi-agent “command center” where developers can assign tasks in parallel, review diffs and preserve project context across the CLI and IDE. Native Windows support is therefore important for broader enterprise adoption and security governance.

OpenAI launched the Codex app on Windows on March 4, 2026, supporting parallel work by multiple agents and using worktrees to isolate tasks within the same repository. Settings and history carry across the app, CLI and IDE. Details disclosed on May 13 showed that the native sandbox uses a dedicated account, restricted tokens and Windows Firewall controls to manage write and network access. OpenAI did not announce separate pricing.

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’s previous built-in browser used a separate browsing session and could not directly access a user’s existing logged-in Chrome environment. The new extension allows Codex to work with real accounts and workflows spanning multiple tabs, including services such as Gmail and Salesforce. This moves AI agents beyond offering advice to performing tasks, while increasing the risks of account-data leaks and unintended actions.

As of July 20, 2026, OpenAI had launched the Codex Chrome extension. Once installed, it can be invoked with “@Chrome” in Work mode or Codex to process cross-page tasks within a tab group in the background. Installation may require eight categories of permissions, including access to read and change data on all websites and view browsing history. However, confirmation is still required by default for each new domain, and users can configure allowlists and blocklists.

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.