In a move set to empower developers worldwide, OpenAI has unveiled the Codex desktop app on February 2, 2026 — a native macOS application that transforms how teams interact with AI agents for software engineering.
Billed as a "command center" for orchestrating multiple AI agents, this release marks a significant evolution from Codex's initial launch in April 2025.
Best of all, it's available free to users on all ChatGPT plans for a limited time, with doubled rate limits for paid subscribers across Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu tiers. This inclusivity aims to democratize advanced AI tools, allowing over a million active developers — who've seen usage double since the GPT-5.2-Codex model dropped in December—to streamline workflows without barriers.
Seamless Native Integration: Bridging Your Tools and AI
At its core, the Codex app integrates natively with your existing development environment, preserving full context across terminals, IDEs, and projects. It builds on the Codex CLI and IDE extensions, ensuring compatibility with ongoing work. This means AI agents can dive straight into your codebase, understanding nuances without constant re-prompting. Whether you're in VS Code, JetBrains, or a simple terminal, the app acts as a unified hub, managing agents that handle everything from design to deployment and maintenance.
Custom Skills: Building Tailored AI Workflows
One of the app's standout features is the ability to create and manage "Skills" directly in the user interface. These are customizable extensions that go beyond basic code generation, enabling agents to perform specialized tasks like fixing tests, collecting logs, writing documentation, or analyzing data.
Skills bundle instructions, resources, and scripts into reusable workflows, connectable to external tools for reliability.
For instance, you could design a Skill for automated bug triage or integrating with services like Figma for design-to-code translation, Linear for project management, or cloud platforms like Cloudflare and Vercel. Sharing these via team repositories fosters collaboration, turning individual hacks into organizational assets.
Automation: Hands-Off Efficiency at Scale
Automation takes productivity to the next level by allowing scheduled, background execution of Skills and instructions. Imagine prepping meeting notes, running nightly tests, or analyzing bugs automatically—results queue up for review without manual intervention.
This feature supports complex, long-running tasks, with agents operating in parallel threads organized by project. Features like diff reviews, manual edits, and worktree support prevent conflicts in shared repos, while personality options—terse/pragmatic or conversational/empathetic—let you tailor the agent's tone via simple commands.
Sandbox Security: Control and Isolation Built-In
Security is paramount, with the app employing native, open-source sandboxing at the system level. Agents operate in isolated environments, restricted to specific folders or branches, using cached web searches, and requiring explicit permissions for network access or elevated commands.
You control access to files, networks, or resources, configurable per project or team. Looking ahead, OpenAI plans seamless cloud integration, enabling agents to run even when your computer is off — extending automation to always-on scenarios.
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Availability and Future Roadmap
Currently exclusive to macOS, the app is downloadable now using your ChatGPT login, with usage bundled into subscriptions (or via additional credits). Windows support is on the horizon, alongside enhancements like multi-agent workflows, cloud-triggered automations, and faster model inference. The doubled rate limits apply universally to Codex interactions—app, CLI, IDE, or cloud—boosting capacity for heavy users.
This launch underscores OpenAI's shift toward developer orchestration, where AI handles the grunt work, freeing humans for creativity. As agents evolve to tackle intricate tasks, the Codex app positions itself as an indispensable tool in the AI-driven dev era. Head to openai.com to download and experience the future of coding today.
