The Codex app is a macOS desktop tool for orchestrating multiple AI agents across projects. It lets developers run work in parallel, manage long‑running tasks, add skills and automations, and review diffs—all with sandboxed security. It’s included with ChatGPT subscriptions, with limited‑time access for Free and Go users.

Introducing the Codex app: a command centre for agents

On 2 February 2026, OpenAI introduced the Codex app for macOS—a focused desktop workspace for directing, supervising and collaborating with multiple agents at once. It’s built for parallel work, long‑running tasks and code‑centred collaboration—without fighting your IDE or terminal.

Why this matters now

Developers increasingly rely on agents for end‑to‑end work that spans hours or days. The challenge has shifted from what agents can do to how people manage and coordinate them at scale. Codex addresses that gap with a desktop “command centre” designed around projects, threads and review workflows.

Key capabilities

Projects & threads for parallel work. Run multiple agents side‑by‑side, switch context instantly and review their proposed changes via inline diffs—or open them in your editor for manual tweaks. Built‑in worktree support lets agents explore different branches safely.

Skills to go beyond code generation. Codex now uses skills—bundles of instructions, resources and scripts—to connect safely to tools, run workflows and complete tasks (e.g., research, writing, deployment, image generation). Create and manage skills in the app, or let Codex pick them automatically per task. Teams can check skills into repos for shared use.

Automations for scheduled work. Set Codex to handle repetitive jobs on a schedule—triaging issues, summarising CI failures, preparing release briefs—then review outputs in a queue.

Personalities to suit your style. Choose a terse, execution‑first assistant or a more conversational partner using a simple /personality command in the app, CLI and IDE extension—capabilities stay the same.

Deep example: building a game, end‑to‑end. OpenAI highlights a demo where Codex, using an image‑generation skill and a web‑game skill, produced a voxel racing game after more than seven million tokens of autonomous work—planning, building and play‑testing over time.

Skills library highlights

A curated library showcases popular workflows used internally and by the community, including integrations with: design handoff from Figma; project management in Linear; deployments to Cloudflare, Netlify, Render and Vercel; file creation/editing skills for PDFs, spreadsheets and DOCX; and docs reference for the OpenAI APIs.

Security model: secure by default, configurable by design

The app uses native, open‑source system‑level sandboxing (as in the Codex CLI). By default, agents are restricted to editing files within their folder/branch and to cached web search. Anything requiring elevated permissions—like network access—triggers an explicit permission step. Teams can define rules that allow certain commands to run with elevated permissions automatically.

Availability and pricing

The Codex app is available today on macOS. Anyone with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu can use Codex across the CLI, web, IDE extension and the app, logged in with their ChatGPT account. Usage is included with these subscriptions; extra credits are available if needed. For a limited time, Free and Go users can also access Codex—and OpenAI has doubled rate limits on paid plans during this window. A Windows version is in development.

Roadmap

OpenAI notes rapid growth since launching GPT‑5.2‑Codex in December 2025, with more than a million developers using Codex in the last month. Next up: Windows availability, faster inference, richer multi‑agent workflows and cloud‑triggered automations so agents can run continuously.

Who it’s for

• Engineering leaders coordinating multiple streams of work and needing reviewable, auditable agent outputs.

• Product designers/developers translating designs into production‑ready code with integrated skills.

• Ops & platform teams scheduling repetitive tasks via automations and enforcing sandbox policies.

Getting started

Download the macOS app, sign in with your ChatGPT account, import your Codex CLI/IDE configuration, and start by enabling a small set of skills. Add automations for repeatable tasks, choose a personality that matches your workflow, and define project rules for safe elevated actions.

Note: For a limited time, Codex is also available to ChatGPT Free and Go—a useful window to trial multi‑agent workflows before rolling out to teams.

FAQs

What exactly is the Codex app?
A macOS desktop app that lets you orchestrate multiple AI agents with projects/threads, skills and automations—built for long‑running and parallel work.

How is it secured?
Agents operate in an open‑source system‑level sandbox by default, restricted to project folders and cached search. Elevated actions require permission or pre‑approved rules.

Who can use it and what does it cost?
Included with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu subscriptions; extra credits optional. Limited‑time access for Free and Go users.

Does it work on Windows?
Windows support is planned.

What are “skills” and “automations”?
Skills are reusable, shareable bundles that connect Codex to tools and workflows; Automations schedule background tasks with review queues.

What models power it?
The post references GPT‑5.2‑Codex and ongoing improvements to speed and capabilities.