OpenAI’s Codex Mac app adds three key features that go beyond agentic coding

OpenAI is releasing a new version of its Codex desktop app today. The latest Codex update adds three key features that expand its use beyond agentic coding.

Today’s release signals the start of a shift for Codex. The app is going from strictly developer-focused to having more general utility as an AI tool on the Mac.

Codex adds background computer use, in-app browser, and image generation

Today’s Codex release includes three key features that extend the desktop app’s capabilities.

These include Codex-powered background computer use, an in-app browser built on OpenAI’s Atlas, and image generation powered by gpt-image-1.5 — all without leaving Codex.

OpenAI specifically highlights the “background” aspect of Codex’s computer use capabilities. Codex can use desktop apps on your Mac in the background while you actively use your machine without interruption.

“Multiple agents can work in parallel, without interfering with your own work in other apps,” OpenAI says. “For developers, this is helpful for testing and iterating on frontend changes, testing apps, or working in apps that don’t expose an API.”

Computer Use arrives in Codex following OpenAI’s acquisition of Sky Applications Incorporated — the team originally behind Apple Shortcuts / Workflow — last fall.

Last fall, OpenAI released its first AI-focused web browser with the launch of ChatGPT Atlas. Today, Codex is bringing Atlas technology into the stack with its own in-app browser.

OpenAI says Codex’s in-app browser will let you “comment directly on pages to provide precise instructions to the agent.”

“This is useful for frontend and game development today, and over time we plan to expand it so Codex can fully command the browser beyond web applications on localhost,” the company adds.

Image-gen is also now integrated with Codex. This removes the need to switch to the ChatGPT app for creating AI-generated images. For developers, OpenAI expects image-gen inside Codex to be especially useful for making visual concepts and more based on screenshots and code.

111 more Codex Plugins, automation, and memory

Beyond these three key features, OpenAI is releasing a curated collection of 111 additional Codex Plugins. These combine skills, app integrations, and MCP servers to extend Codex’s capabilities.

Codex includes these new software development support features beyond agentic coding:

The app now includes support for addressing GitHub review comments, running multiple terminal tabs, and connecting to remote devboxes over SSH in alpha. It also lets you open files directly in the sidebar with rich previews for PDFs, spreadsheets, slides, and docs, and use a new summary pane to track agent plans, sources, and artifacts.

Automation has expanded capabilities in the new version of Codex as well:

We have expanded automations to allow re-using existing conversation threads, preserving context previously built up. Codex can now schedule future work for itself and wake up automatically to continue on a long-term task, potentially across days or weeks.

Lastly, Codex gets a “preview of memory” similar to the ChatGPT app. Codex can “remember useful context from previous experience, including personal preferences, corrections and information that took time to gather.”

Memory will allow Codex to surface useful prompt suggestions based on ongoing projects:

Using context from projects, connected plugins, and memory, Codex can now suggest how to start your work day or where to pick up on a previous project. For example Codex can identify open comments in Google Docs that require your attention, pull relevant context from Slack, Notion, and your codebase, then provide you with a prioritized list of actions.

These prompts should improve with use as Codex gains more context.

OpenAI recently introduced a new subscription designed for Codex users

In addition to enhancing the Codex desktop app, OpenAI recently introduced a subscription designed for Codex users.

OpenAI’s $100/month Pro tier arrived last week. It’s an upgrade from the $20/month plan, and a cheaper upgrade than the $200/month Pro tier.

The new Pro tier is for “those who use advanced tools and models throughout the week with 5x higher limits than Plus.”

At launch, it actually includes “10x Codex usage vs. Plus for a limited time,” OpenAI says.

OpenAI shared last week that Codex has 3 million weekly users. That’s a 5x increase in three months with 70% month over month usage growth.

Superapp ambitions with Codex

OpenAI suggests future versions of Codex will lean further into general productivity use cases for builders beyond engineering.

This follows OpenAI’s plan to build one “superapp” that integrates all of its technologies.

We see the start of that today with background computer use, in-app browser, and image generation being bundled.

Today’s Codex release is also the first support Intel Macs.

Learn more about the latest version of Codex here. Codex for Mac is available to download here.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.