OpenAI adds Appshots to Codex

OpenAI updated Codex on May 21 with a macOS feature called Appshots that lets users send the frontmost app window into a Codex thread with a keyboard shortcut, according to the company’s changelog. The update also made Goal mode generally available in the Codex app, IDE extension and command-line interface, and added browser annotation tools and plugin-sharing features for some business users. OpenAI described Appshots as a way to give Codex a screenshot and available text from another app without copying and pasting. The release appeared in OpenAI’s Codex changelog and related ChatGPT and enterprise release notes on Thursday. ### What does Appshots actually do on a Mac? OpenAI said Appshots are now available in the Codex app on macOS and can be triggered by pressing both Command keys. The shortcut sends the frontmost app window to Codex with a screenshot and any text the system can capture, so the model can work from what the user is already looking at in another application. The May 21 release notes say the feature is meant to reduce manual setup in prompts. (developers.openai.com) OpenAI’s wording in both the Codex changelog and ChatGPT release notes says users no longer need to copy, paste or describe the app context by hand before asking Codex to act on it. ### Where does this fit in Codex’s broader desktop push? OpenAI said in an April 16 product post that Codex had already expanded beyond coding assistance into computer use, in-app browsing, memory, image generation and plugins on macOS and Windows. (developers.openai.com) That earlier release positioned the desktop app as a “command center” for agents working across multiple threads, projects and tools. The Codex app page says the product is available on macOS and Windows, though Appshots in this release are specifically a macOS feature. OpenAI’s documentation describes the app as a focused desktop environment with worktrees, automations and Git support. ### What changed with Goal mode? Goal mode is “no longer an experimental feature,” OpenAI said in the Codex changelog. (openai.com) The company said the mode is now available in the Codex app, IDE extension and CLI, and can keep working toward a specified objective for “hours or even days.” OpenAI’s developer documentation for goals says the `/goal` command is intended for long-running work with a clear stopping condition, such as migrations, refactors, deployment retry loops and experiments. (developers.openai.com) The same documentation says users can check progress, steer the work and pause it without ending the main task. ### What else shipped in the same release? (developers.openai.com) OpenAI said the in-app browser inside Codex is now faster and more precise, with advanced annotation mode and batch comments support. The company also said business users can share custom plugins between teams, while enterprise users can ask OpenAI for early access to shared plugin support. (developers.openai.com) The May 21 enterprise and education notes added that admin analytics now include more detail on active users, credits, tokens, runs, user leaderboards, lines of code generated and plugin usage. OpenAI tied those updates to business and enterprise management of Codex deployments. (9to5mac.com) ### Where can users see the next changes? OpenAI’s Codex changelog lists the May 21 release under current product updates, and the company’s Help Center carries parallel release notes for ChatGPT and enterprise or education accounts. The Codex app, plugin directory and Goal mode documentation are published on OpenAI’s developer site, where OpenAI has been posting follow-on product details for the desktop app and related workflows. (developers.openai.com) (help.openai.com)