Codex Adds Windows Computer Use + ChatGPT Mobile Windows Connections for On-the-Go Steering
On May 29, 2026, OpenAI brought Codex Computer Use to Windows, where it operates desktop apps in the foreground, and let the ChatGPT mobile app connect to Windows machines so you can steer tasks from your phone. Both now run through the ChatGPT desktop app, which Codex joined on July 9, 2026.
On May 29, 2026, OpenAI shipped two Windows additions to Codex in Codex app 26.527: Computer Use on Windows and remote control of Windows devices from the ChatGPT mobile app (changelog). Since July 9, 2026, Codex is part of the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS and Windows, so both features now run through that app.
The phone side of this is the same feature our Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app writeup covers in full; this page covers what changed for Windows.
What Shipped on May 29
OpenAI's changelog entry for Codex app 26.527 says:
- "Computer Use now works on Windows. Codex can operate Windows desktop apps by seeing, clicking, and typing in the foreground while it works."
- "Remote control now supports Windows devices. You can start Codex work on a Windows device from ChatGPT on iOS or Android, or from a Mac running Codex, and check its progress remotely."
OpenAI Developers announced the same release on X, saying "With Computer use on Windows, Codex can test apps, debug flows, and review work where your project context lives," and that Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app "lets you connect to Windows machines and keep steering from your phone" (OpenAI Developers).
Today's Computer Use docs state that "In supported regions, Computer Use in the ChatGPT desktop app is available on macOS and Windows with ChatGPT Work and Codex."
How Windows Computer Use Differs From macOS
The Computer Use docs draw these lines between the two platforms:
| macOS | Windows | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Can run a scoped task in the background while you keep working elsewhere | On the active desktop, in the foreground; it can't operate in the background while you use the same session |
| System setup | Grant Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions | Keep the target app visible on the active desktop |
| Keep working after the screen locks | Yes, with locked use enabled | No; keep the device unlocked and online |
| Saved app approvals | Settings > Computer Use > Always allow | Same list, stored in $CODEX_HOME/config.toml under [computer_use.windows] |
The practical consequence on Windows: expect Codex to move the pointer, type, and take over the foreground while a task runs. For tasks that should continue while you step away, OpenAI's guidance is to keep the Windows device unlocked and connected, check in with remote control from your phone, or run the ChatGPT desktop app inside a Windows virtual machine so Computer Use takes over the VM instead of your main desktop.
How to Steer a Windows Machine From Your Phone
The Codex on mobile docs give three steps:
- On the Windows PC, open the ChatGPT desktop app and go to Settings > Connections > Control this Mac or PC, then select Set up or Add and approve remote access.
- Scan the QR code with your phone, sign in to the same ChatGPT account and workspace, and approve the connection.
- In the ChatGPT mobile app, open Codex, choose the connected computer, and start or continue a task.
From the phone you can start chats in the host's projects, send follow-ups, approve commands, and review diffs, test results, terminal output, and screenshots (remote connections docs). The work runs on the Windows machine, which has to stay awake and online.
Why It Matters
If you do most of your development on Windows, this is a practical workflow upgrade: Codex can take action directly inside the environment where your app and tooling run, and you can review and steer long-running tasks from mobile without staying at your desk. The foreground-only constraint is the cost: pair it with a second machine or a VM if you need your desktop back while it works.
Sources
- ChatGPT and Codex changelog: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/changelog (entries of May 29 and July 9, 2026, read October 9, 2026)
- Computer Use docs: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/computer-use (read October 9, 2026)
- Codex on mobile docs: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/mobile (read October 9, 2026)
- Remote connections docs: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/remote-connections (read October 9, 2026)
- OpenAI Developers on X: https://x.com/OpenAIDevs/status/2060429591655927942 (May 29, 2026)
Read next
Related coverage- Codex
Codex in the ChatGPT Mobile App: Run, Review, and Steer Codex from Your Phone
Yes, you can drive Codex from your phone. The ChatGPT mobile app on iOS and Android connects to a host running the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS or Windows, and from the phone you start work, review diffs and terminal output, and approve actions. Codex still executes on the host, which must stay awake and online.
- OpenAI
OpenAI Codex adds Locked computer use on Mac (keep Computer Use running after lock)
Codex can keep using Mac apps after your screen locks. Locked use, now set in the ChatGPT desktop app under Settings > Computer Use, is a narrow unlock path for active Computer Use turns started from a connected device, with a short-lived authorization window and a relock on local input.
- OpenAI
OpenAI Codex Goes 'For Almost Everything': Mac Computer Use, Browser Comment Mode, and Thread Automations Explained
OpenAI's April 16, 2026 Codex update pushed it past coding: Computer Use drives Mac apps (Windows followed on May 29), an in-app browser takes comments on rendered pages, and thread automations wake a thread on a schedule. Since July 9, 2026, Codex lives in the ChatGPT desktop app, where thread automations are scheduled tasks in a chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did OpenAI announce about Codex on Windows?
On May 29, 2026, Codex app 26.527 added Computer Use on Windows: Codex operates Windows desktop apps by seeing, clicking, and typing in the foreground while it works. The same release let you start and check Codex work on a Windows device from ChatGPT on iOS or Android.
What changed for Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app?
The ChatGPT mobile app can connect to a Windows PC running the ChatGPT desktop app, not just a Mac. From your phone you start tasks, send follow-ups, approve commands, and review diffs, while the work runs on the Windows machine, which must stay awake and online.
How is Windows Computer Use different from macOS?
On Windows, Computer Use runs on the active desktop and can't work in the background while you use the same session, so it takes over the pointer and keyboard. Locked use is macOS only. OpenAI suggests a separate device, a virtual machine, or remote control from your phone.