Codex expands beyond code

OpenAI has turned Codex from a coding sidekick into a Mac app that can browse, click, type, and juggle multiple tasks at once. (openai.com) OpenAI announced the update on April 16, 2026, adding background computer use, an in-app browser, image generation, memory, and plugins to the Codex app for macOS and Windows. The company said Codex now works with everyday apps and can take on repeatable work over time. (openai.com) For developers, OpenAI said the app now supports pull request review, multiple files and terminals, Secure Shell connections to remote development boxes, and browser-based testing for front-end work. The company also said multiple agents can run on one Mac in parallel without interrupting whatever the user is doing in other apps. (openai.com) Computer use means the software watches the screen and takes actions with its own cursor, instead of relying only on application programming interfaces, the software hooks that apps expose to other tools. OpenAI said that lets Codex work inside apps that do not offer an API and handle tasks like testing interfaces or changing settings on a desktop. (openai.com) That marks a step beyond the version OpenAI introduced for macOS on February 2, 2026, when Codex was pitched as a “command center” for software development with parallel agent threads and long-running coding jobs. OpenAI updated that launch post on March 4 to say the app had also become available on Windows. (openai.com) OpenAI said more than 3 million developers use Codex every week, and the April 16 release frames the new features as a way to speed work across the full software development lifecycle rather than just writing code. The company’s developer docs say Codex is included with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, and Enterprise plans. (openai.com 1) (openai.com 2) Outside reporting filled in some of the new connections. 9to5Mac reported that the release adds integrations with GitLab, Atlassian Rovo, and Microsoft tools, alongside the browser and background-computer features. (9to5mac.com) The shift also fits OpenAI’s broader desktop strategy. 9to5Mac reported in March that the company was working to bring its ChatGPT, Codex, and Atlas Mac apps closer together in a single “superapp,” and the new Codex browser is built on Atlas, according to both OpenAI and 9to5Mac. (9to5mac.com) (openai.com) (9to5mac.com) Codex started in May 2025 as a cloud software engineering agent that could work on many coding tasks in parallel inside sandboxed environments. Less than a year later, OpenAI is describing the desktop app less as a place to write code and more as a place to supervise agents that move across code, browsers, and Mac apps. (openai.com 1) (openai.com 2)