OpenAI Codex Can Now Control Your Mac and Schedule Future Work [Video]

OpenAI is significantly expanding the capabilities of its Codex platform, transforming it from a coding assistant into a more capable development partner that can directly operate your Mac. This major update introduces background computer use, allowing the AI to see, click, and type within any application on macOS without interfering with your work in other apps.



The addition of background computer use marks a significant expansion for the Codex app for Mac. Developers can now deploy multiple AI agents to work on a machine in parallel. This is particularly useful for tasks like iterating on frontend designs, testing applications, or interacting with software that lacks a public API. Because these agents run in the background, you can continue working in other apps while Codex handles repetitive tasks.


The update builds on the "agentic coding" foundation OpenAI introduced earlier this year. Apple has begun bringing similar concepts into Xcode 26.3, adding support for autonomous AI agents within its development tools. Today's release pushes that autonomy further, enabling Codex to schedule future work for itself and "wake up" to continue long-term tasks across several days or weeks.

OpenAI is also bridging the gap between coding and design by integrating image generation. Using the gpt-image-1.5 model, Codex can now create and iterate on visuals for product concepts, mockups, and games within the same workspace as your codebase. A new in-app browser has also been added, allowing you to provide precise instructions by commenting directly on web pages as you iterate on frontend changes.

For those managing complex projects, the app now includes deeper support for the full software development lifecycle. This includes the ability to address GitHub review comments, manage multiple terminal tabs, and connect to remote devboxes via SSH. The sidebar has been updated with rich previews for PDFs, spreadsheets, and documents, while a new summary pane lets you track agent plans and sources in real-time.

Context is another major focus of this release. OpenAI has introduced a preview of "memory," which allows Codex to remember personal preferences, previous corrections, and information gathered during earlier sessions. This helps future tasks complete faster without requiring extensive custom instructions. Codex can also suggest a prioritized list of actions to start your day by pulling context from connected tools like Slack, Gmail, and Notion.


To support this expanded ecosystem, OpenAI is releasing more than 90 additional plugins. These combine integrations for tools like Microsoft Suite, GitLab, and JIRA with Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, which were a key addition to Apple's developer tools in the Xcode 26.3 update.

The update is rolling out today to Codex desktop app users signed in with ChatGPT. While computer use is initially exclusive to macOS, OpenAI noted that personalization features like memory and context-aware suggestions will reach Enterprise and Education users soon. The rollout follows OpenAI's reported plan to eventually merge its tools into a unified AI 'superapp' for Mac.