OpenAI released Computer Use for Codex on Windows on May 29, extending the GUI automation feature that launched on macOS earlier this year. The feature lets Codex see the active desktop screen and perform actions: clicking buttons, typing text, opening applications, navigating menus, and adjusting system settings. Developers can also steer tasks remotely from the ChatGPT mobile app on iOS and Android.
What Computer Use Does on Windows
Once enabled in Codex settings, users can invoke desktop control through @computer or specific app references (like @Paint) in prompts, according to Thurrott. Codex takes temporary foreground control of the desktop while tasks run.
The target use cases are workflows that terminal commands and API integrations cannot handle: testing desktop applications, reproducing UI-specific bugs, browsing the web, and interacting with software that lacks programmatic interfaces, according to The Hans India.
“Codex now supports more of the Windows developer loop,” OpenAI posted on X. “With Computer use on Windows, Codex can test apps, debug flows, and review work where your project context lives.”
Mobile Remote Control
The ChatGPT mobile integration mirrors the Mac implementation released in May. The mobile app reflects the live state of the connected Windows machine: running tasks, project contexts, plugin activity, and outputs. Developers can review test results, switch models, submit instructions, and approve actions without being at the computer, per The Hans India.
Files, credentials, and local configurations stay on the host device. The mobile app functions as a remote dashboard, relaying screenshots, terminal output, code changes, and test results. Codex sends approval notifications when user authorization is required.
GUI Agents Enter the Windows Ecosystem
The Windows expansion matters for agent infrastructure because it opens GUI-level automation to the dominant enterprise desktop operating system. Existing agent frameworks like OpenClaw and Hermes operate primarily through terminal commands and code execution. Codex Computer Use targets a different execution layer: the graphical interface itself. Desktop applications without APIs, legacy enterprise software, and GUI-only tools all become automatable targets.
The update also included a redesigned profile section showing usage statistics and token activity, enhanced thread coordination for local projects, and improved search for past Codex conversations, according to The Hans India.