On February 2, 2026, OpenAI officially launched the Codex app for macOS, marking a major shift from its previous command-line tool into a native “command center” for AI-assisted development.
The app is powered by GPT-5.2-Codex, OpenAI’s most advanced coding model to date, and is designed to move beyond simple code generation toward agentic workflows—where multiple AI agents can work independently and in parallel on complex projects.
1. Key Features: The Multi-Agent Hub
The macOS app provides a unified desktop experience that coordinates several AI “agents” across the entire software lifecycle.
- Parallel Agent Execution: Developers can delegate tasks to multiple agents simultaneously. For example, one agent can work on backend logic while another generates UI components in an isolated worktree.
- Skills Framework: A new feature that allows developers to package instructions, scripts, and resources into “Skills.” These enable Codex to perform specific, repeatable actions like fixing broken tests, fetching logs, or summarizing PR threads.
- Automations: A dedicated section where users can schedule repetitive tasks—such as daily issue triage or generating release briefs—to run in the background at set intervals.
- Built-in Git Tooling: The app includes deep integration with Git, allowing developers to review clean diffs, comment on changes, and manage isolated worktrees directly within the interface.
2. Deep Integration & Security
The Codex app is designed to fit seamlessly into existing developer workflows while maintaining strict security controls for local file access.
| Feature | Description |
| Cross-Tool Context | Codex maintains a shared context between the macOS app, IDE extensions (VS Code), and the CLI, allowing you to switch tools without losing your place. |
| Sandboxed Access | Users can limit Codex’s write access to specific project folders. The app includes a “Sandbox Mode” with permission levels like “Untrusted” or “Request on Failure.” |
| IDE Synergy | The app supports a “Work with VS Code” mode, where it can make simple edits or answer questions directly based on the files currently open in your editor. |
3. Pricing and Availability
To encourage rapid adoption, OpenAI has introduced a limited-time incentive for the launch.
- Free and Go Users: Can access the Codex app with included limits for a limited time.
- Plus, Pro, and Enterprise: Subscribers on these plans receive 2x Codex rate limits across the app, CLI, and IDE extensions.
- OS Support: The app is currently exclusive to macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon). OpenAI has confirmed that a Windows version is in development but has not provided a specific release date.
4. Case Study: The “Mario Kart” Demo
During the launch, OpenAI demonstrated the app’s power by tasking Codex with building a Mario Kart-style racing game from a single prompt.
- Designer Agent: Used GPT-Image to generate 3D-style assets and car models.
- Developer Agent: Wrote the web-based game engine in parallel.
- QA Agent: Validated the code by “playing” the game in an internal simulation to find bugs.The entire process consumed roughly 7 million tokens and resulted in a playable prototype with eight tracks and power-ups.
