Codex App Desktop Version Tutorial
Sam Altman announced on X yesterday that the Codex App desktop version is officially released, with Mac supported first (Windows version coming soon). OpenAI is rolling out the ChatGPT Codex App in a big way, with a limited-time free trial — a top-tier AI coding assistant built to match and surpass Claude Code.
On February 2, 2026, OpenAI officially launched the ChatGPT Codex App (the Codex App desktop application), a standalone AI coding agent client built for macOS. As one of OpenAI's "most beloved products" internally, the Codex App takes AI agent capabilities to a new level with multi-task parallelism, automated workflows and deep IDE integration, delivering a revolutionary coding experience.
This article covers everything about the Codex App — core features, capabilities, a Codex App download & install tutorial, and practical tips — so you can quickly master this top-tier AI coding tool.
Table of Contents
- 1. What Is the ChatGPT Codex App?
- 2. Core Features of the Codex App Desktop Application
- 3. How to Download & Install the ChatGPT Codex App
- 4. How to Use the ChatGPT Codex App
- 5. Codex App Pricing & Limited-Time Free Offer
- 6. Codex App vs Cursor & Claude Code
- 7. Codex App FAQ
- 8. Summary & Recommendations
1. What Is the ChatGPT Codex App?
ChatGPT Codex App (short for Codex App) is OpenAI's professional AI coding agent. It first launched inside the ChatGPT web version in 2025, followed by the Codex CLI. Now the standalone Codex App desktop version becomes a true "command center", letting you manage multiple AI agents at once and easily handle complex software development tasks.
Unlike code-completion tools such as GitHub Copilot, the Codex App is a truly autonomous coding agent — it doesn't just write code; it can independently run tests, fix bugs, generate pull requests, install dependencies, and refactor entire projects across files. Core positioning: it upgrades from a "code-completion tool" to a "virtual software engineer".
Codex App also comes with a limited-time free offer!
🎯 Codex App Limited-Time Offer (February - April 2026)
| User type | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Free users & ChatGPT Go | Limited-time access to all Codex App features (limited quota) |
| Plus/Pro/Business/Enterprise/Edu | 2x rate limits — doubled message and task capacity |
Free accounts have limited trial quota — for full projects, automations and Skills features, we recommend Plus or Business. The author runs Plus + Business + doubled quota at the same time, which equals four times a single Plus's allowance — plenty for everyday projects.
2. Core Features of the Codex App Desktop Application
1. Multi-Agent Parallelism
The Codex App's biggest highlight: it supports running multiple agents at once. Each agent runs on its own thread, isolated by project, without interfering with each other. You can handle different tasks in parallel (e.g. one refactoring code while another writes tests) and switch context seamlessly.
2. Native Git Worktree Support
The Codex App has Git Worktree built in:
- Each agent uses an independent copy of the code to avoid conflicts
- Multiple agents can work on different branches of the same repository simultaneously
- View diffs, add comments, and make staged commits at any time
3. Automations
Set up scheduled tasks to run the Codex App in the background:
- Auto-generate code review reports
- Check code conventions daily
- Task results automatically land in the "inbox"
4. Skills Library
The Codex App supports extensible skills — the Skills Store offers meta-skills like "Create Skill" and "Skill Installer".
Six pre-installed OpenAI-verified skills:
- 🎨 Design-to-code (Figma automatically converted to code)
- 📊 Project management (deep Linear integration)
- 🚀 Cloud-native deployment (one-click launch on Vercel / Netlify / Cloudflare / Render)
- 🖼️ Visual generation (powered by GPT Image)
- 📑 Document processing (smart reading/writing for PDF/Excel/Word)
- 🔌 API development (real-time integration with OpenAI official docs)
5. Deep IDE Integration
Seamlessly syncs with VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, with automatic context awareness and cross-platform session history.
6. Local & Cloud Dual Modes
- Local mode: code never leaves your machine — ideal for sensitive projects
- Cloud mode: uses OpenAI cloud containers — ideal for compute-heavy tasks
3. How to Download & Install the ChatGPT Codex App
System Requirements
- macOS (Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4 chips only)
- A ChatGPT account (limited-time free trial)
- The Windows version is coming soon; for now, use the Codex CLI
Installing the Codex App on macOS
Step 1: Download
Visit OpenAI's official Codex download page and click "Download for macOS" to get the .dmg file.
Step 2: Install & Sign In
- Drag the app into the Applications folder
- On first launch, sign in with your ChatGPT account (Google/Microsoft authorization supported)
- No need to enter an API Key manually — permissions sync automatically
Step 3: Choose a Project
Select a local project folder; historical projects sync automatically.
Step 4: Start Using It
Switch between Local / Cloud mode in the top-left corner and type what you need.
Installing the Codex CLI (Command-Line Version)
# npm 安装（推荐）
npm install -g @openai/codex
# 或 Homebrew
brew install codex
# 验证
codex --versionOn first run, the browser opens automatically for sign-in; the token is saved to ~/.codex/token.
4. How to Use the ChatGPT Codex App
Basic Scenarios
Code review:
"Review this project's code quality, find performance bottlenecks and suggest optimizations"
Feature development:
"Add JWT user authentication to the project, including login, registration and middleware"
Bug fixing:
"Fix the npm test errors and make sure all tests pass"
Code refactoring:
"Migrate the project from JavaScript to TypeScript"
Advanced Tips
- Worktrees: create a new agent thread → an independent worktree is created automatically → review changes and selectively merge
- Automations: create a task in the Automations tab and set its trigger conditions and permissions
- Permission modes: three levels of control — Ask / Auto Edit / Full Auto
5. Codex App Pricing & Limited-Time Free Offer
Limited-Time Free Trial (February - April 2026)
- Free & Go users: full Codex App experience
- Paid users: doubled rate limits
Official Pricing (After the Trial Period)
| Subscription | Codex App access | Rate limit (per 5 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Free | Basic features | Limited |
| ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) | Full features | 30-150 messages / 10-60 cloud tasks |
| ChatGPT Pro ($200/month) | Full features + priority processing | 300-1500 messages / 50-400 cloud tasks |
| Business/Enterprise | Admin console + analytics | Custom quota |
Recommended stable top-up channel for users in China: gptplus.org.cn
6. Codex App vs Cursor & Claude Code
| Feature | ChatGPT Codex App | Cursor | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-agent parallelism | ✅ Multi-threaded | ❌ Single session | ❌ Single session |
| Automations | ✅ Built-in Automations | ❌ Requires plugin | ❌ Not supported |
| Git integration | ✅ Native Worktree | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Supported |
| Ease of entry | ✅ No API Key needed | ⚠️ Needs setup | ⚠️ Needs API Key |
| Model capability | ✅ codex-1 optimized for coding | ⚠️ Mixed models | ✅ Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
| Local/cloud | ✅ Local + cloud | ✅ Local | ✅ Local |
| IDE support | ✅ Multi-IDE sync | ✅ VS Code only | ⚠️ Terminal-first |
Thanks to multi-agent parallelism and automated workflows, the Codex App is far more efficient on large projects than its rivals.
7. Codex App FAQ
Q1: When will Windows users get it?
A: The Windows version is in development and expected within a few months. For now, use WSL + Codex CLI.
Q2: Will Codex App replace programmers?
A: No. It's a productivity enhancement tool suited to repetitive tasks, letting developers focus on architecture and innovation.
Q3: Is my code safe?
A: In local mode, code never leaves your device; in cloud mode, OpenAI doesn't use it for training; the enterprise version is SOC 2 compliant.
Q4: How do users in China use it?
A: As long as you can access ChatGPT normally, you can download and use it.
Q5: How is it different from GitHub Copilot?
A: Copilot is a completion tool, while the Codex App is an autonomous agent that can complete end-to-end tasks.
8. Summary & Recommendations
The launch of the ChatGPT Codex App (Codex App) marks the arrival of the "multi-agent collaboration" era in AI coding. Right now is the perfect window to try it — limited-time free + doubled quota — so we strongly recommend downloading and testing it now!
Recommendations:
- Beginners: start with Ask mode
- Large projects: enable multiple agents + Automations
- Sensitive code: prefer local mode
Codex App download link (official): openai.com/codex
Go try the Codex App now and boost your coding efficiency 10x or more! Feel free to leave comments if you have any questions~