OpenAI is updating its Codex desktop app for macOS with “Computer Use,” adding the ability to run tasks remotely from a phone even when the Mac screen is off and locked. OpenAI Developers say users can send Codex requests to operate apps on their Mac; a reported overlay on a locked Mac indicates “Codex is using your Mac” and prompts the user to unlock before interaction can proceed. The feature requires installing the Computer Use plugin and granting permissions, including Screen Recording and Accessibility, so Codex can click through windows, type, navigate menus, and interact with the clipboard in apps the user allows. OpenAI says Codex requests permission before operating each new app, and users can optionally mark specific apps as “Always allow.” The company also limits what the agent can automate, stating it does not automate Terminal apps, Codex itself, or system-level admin prompts. OpenAI says the capability is not available at launch in the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland.
Codex on macOS can operate your apps remotely even with the Mac locked
OpenAI is updating its Codex desktop app for macOS with “Computer Use,” adding the ability to run tasks remotely from a phone even when the Mac screen is off and locked. OpenAI Developers say users ca...
- OpenAI’s Codex for macOS adds “Computer Use” that can run tasks while the Mac is locked and the screen is off.
- Users send Codex tasks from a phone; Codex can control permitted apps on the Mac.
- The update requires the Computer Use plugin plus Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions.
- Codex asks for permission before operating each new app, with an option to “Always allow” specific apps.
- OpenAI limits automation (including Terminal apps, Codex itself, and system-level admin prompts) and restricts availability in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland at launch.
OpenAI's Codex can now use apps on your Mac remotely from your phone, even when the screen is off and the Mac is locked. Here's how it works and what to keep in mind.
3 months agoOpenAI has rolled out Computer Use for its Codex desktop app on macOS, and its latest trick is that your Mac doesn't even have to be unlocked for the coding agent to use your apps while you're away. In a post on X, OpenAI Developers said users can now send Codex tasks from their phone and have it operate apps on their Mac "even when the screen is off and locked." A picture attached to the post shows a locked Mac displaying a "Codex is Using Your Mac" overlay with a prompt to press any key or click to unlock. For the feature to work, the Computer Use plugin needs to be installed and granted Screen Recording and Accessibility permissions. After that, Codex can click through windows, type, navigate menus, and interact with the clipboard in apps that you explicitly allow. OpenAI says the feature is useful for the types of things command-line tools can't easily reach, such as reproducing a GUI-only bug, changing app settings, or running a flow in a desktop app Codex is helping to build. Codex asks for permission before operating each new app, and for those brave enough you can mark specific apps as "Always allow." OpenAI says the feature is unavailable in the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland at launch, and it can't automate Terminal apps, Codex itself, or system-level admin prompts. Codex anywhere and everywhere, all the time.Now your Mac doesn't have to be unlocked for Codex to use your computer.From your phone, Codex can securely use apps on your Mac, even when the screen is off and locked.https://t.co/PCGK4i7FSF pic.twitter.com/956aAtM3vl— OpenAI Developers (@OpenAIDevs) May 21, 2026 The update follows some other recent Codex additions, including a new "Appshots" feature that pulls a screenshot and text from a Mac app window into a Codex thread with a Command-Command shortcut, plus a new /goal mode that makes an agent keep working toward a milestone across hours or days.Tag: OpenAIThis article, "OpenAI's Codex Can Now Use Your Mac Even When It's Locked" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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