Codex on Windows Can Now Control Desktop Apps Remotely

Codex on Windows has two added capabilities in the latest Windows app: computer use and mobile access. Together, they let Codex work across desktop apps on a Windows computer and let the user check or start work from a phone.

Computer use is the desktop-control feature. Once enabled, OpenAI says it can control any app on the computer and perform tasks on the user’s behalf. OpenAI distinguishes that from Codex for Chrome: if a task can be completed in the browser, it suggests the Chrome integration because it can work across multiple tabs in the background. Computer use is presented as the option for work that needs other applications on the Windows machine.

Setup begins in the Codex app settings. The Computer use page includes a “Control Any App” option, described in the interface as “Let Codex control apps on your computer.” The same settings view also shows a Google Chrome browser-extension area, but the computer-use permission is broader: it is the setting that allows Codex to control applications on the PC.

After computer use is enabled, it becomes available inside a new Codex conversation. A user can type @computer in the composer to turn on computer use. The composer also supports mentioning specific installed apps, so the instruction can name both the mode of operation and the application Codex should use.

The tool menu describes “Computer” as “Control Windows apps from Codex.” In the Paint example, the user mentions @Computer and @Paint, then asks Paint to “draw an image of a goblin.” The workflow is conversational: mention the computer, mention the installed app, and describe the task.

The app list in the composer also shows other tools and integrations, including Browser, Google Calendar, Gmail, and Files. But the distinctive addition is that a Windows app can be addressed directly from the prompt through the computer-use tool and an app mention.

Once Codex starts using the computer, it takes over the screen and cursor. OpenAI says the user will see a visual change to the desktop and cursor while Codex is at work, making the control state explicit.

In the Paint example, the Windows desktop shows Paint open while a green line drawing of a goblin is being created. A blue banner across the top of the screen reads: “Codex is using your computer” and “Esc to cancel.” The task pane shows “Draw goblin image” and a running status of “Working for 43s.”

The visible work log gives a concrete sense of what “control any app” means here. Codex says it will use the Computer Use skill to control Paint directly, connect to Windows automation, target Paint, and use its canvas. When Paint is not found in a discovered app list, the log says Codex is launching it by executable name.

The operating model is visible desktop control that can be cancelled with Esc. Codex is not only responding in a chat pane; it is attempting to discover, launch, target, and manipulate a Windows application while the user can see that control is active.

Mobile access is the companion feature for leaving the desk while Codex is working. Through the ChatGPT app on iOS or Android, a user can see existing running tasks or start new ones connected to Codex on the Windows computer. The constraint is explicit: this works as long as the computer is turned on and connected to the internet.

Setup starts from the mobile icon at the bottom of the Codex app or from Settings → Connections. The user must be signed in to a ChatGPT account. The connection flow uses a QR-code approval step: scan the QR code, log into Codex in the ChatGPT mobile app, and the Windows device should appear automatically in the device list.

The Windows settings view is organized around “Control this PC.” It includes an option to “Add device to control this PC remotely” and a setting that allows the device to be discovered and controlled. The visible permission language says authorized devices on the ChatGPT account can discover and control this device. The approval prompt asks: “Allow this phone to access Codex on your computer?”

After approval, the confirmation screen says “You’re connected.” It offers next steps to enable computer use and set up the Chrome extension. The authorized-device list shows an iPhone entry with a recent connection time and includes a “Revoke access” option, making the phone authorization visible and removable from the Windows side.

The mobile app can initiate computer-use work while the user is away from the desk. In the phone interface, a new ChatGPT thread shows the “Computer Use” plugin active while the user begins typing a task: “Sort my Slack sections based on…” The intended pattern is that a task can be started from the phone while Codex uses the Windows computer to do the work.

For a Windows user, the workflow is direct: enable Control Any App, invoke @computer or mention an installed app in the Codex composer, let Codex visibly operate the desktop, and use the ChatGPT mobile app to check or start tasks when away from the machine. The phone extends access to Codex; the Windows computer remains the machine doing the work.