A complete guide to the OpenAI Codex app for macOS

AI coding assistants have come a long way. What started as simple pair programmers suggesting a line of code here and there have turned into some seriously capable agents. Things shifted again with the launch of the new Codex app for macOS, a big update that rethinks how developers interact with AI on their Mac.

If you're trying to wrap your head around it, you're in the right place. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the new app. We'll cover its role as a "command center for agents," its key features, how it works with the Codex CLI, and, of course, the pricing.

Understanding the ecosystem behind the OpenAI Codex app for macOS

First off, it's good to know that Codex isn't just a single app. It's a whole suite of tools for development, designed as an AI coding agent that can help write, review, and ship code.

For developers on a Mac, there are three main ways to use Codex, and each part plays a different role:

• The Codex app: This is the new desktop command center for macOS. It lets you manage multiple AI agents, run long tasks in the background, and collaborate on big projects. Think of it as your mission control.
• The Codex CLI: This is an open-source command-line tool that you run right in your terminal. It’s built in Rust, so it's super fast and great for quick, interactive pair programming sessions or for scripting automated tasks.
• The Codex IDE Extension: This brings Codex's power in your editor, like VS Code. It’s for developers who want AI help without ever leaving their workflow.

The entire ecosystem is powered by some of OpenAI's most advanced models, like "GPT-5.2-Codex" and "codex-1," which are specifically tuned for software engineering.

The new OpenAI Codex app for macOS explained

So, what’s the big deal with the new desktop app? Its main job is to give you a dedicated space to direct, supervise, and collaborate with multiple AI agents at once. It’s much more than just another chat window.

Here are a few of the key features that make it stand out:

• Multi-agent parallel work: The app gives you separate threads for different agents and projects. This means you can kick off a long-running task with one agent, then immediately switch to another to ask a quick question, all without losing your place. It lets you run work in parallel, just like a real team.
• Skills for advanced tasks: "Skills" are what take Codex beyond simple code generation. They're pre-packaged instructions and scripts that let an agent connect to other tools, run workflows, and handle complex jobs. For instance, you could use a Skill to generate images with GPT Image, manage projects in Linear, or even deploy an app to Vercel.
• Automations for repetitive work: You can set up Automations to run Codex on a schedule, completely in the background. It's perfect for handling tedious tasks like triaging new issues every morning, running bug checks, or generating a weekly release brief without you having to do anything.
• Selectable personalities: Sometimes you want a straight answer, and other times you want a more collaborative partner. With the "/personality" command, you can switch between a "terse, pragmatic style" and a "more conversational, empathetic one" to fit your mood or the task.

Core capabilities of the Codex platform and the OpenAI Codex app for macOS

When you combine the app, the CLI, and the IDE extension, you get a seriously powerful toolkit. Here’s a look at what you can actually do with the whole Codex ecosystem.

Asynchronous multi-agent delegation with the OpenAI Codex app for macOS

The new app really shines when it comes to long-running tasks. You can delegate a huge project, like building out a new feature or refactoring an entire codebase, to a team of AI agents. They'll get to work in parallel, each in their own isolated cloud environment, chipping away at the problem while you focus on other things.

Interactive pair programming and debugging

For real-time, in-the-moment collaboration, the CLI and IDE extension are your best friends. You can run a quick command like "codex "Explain this codebase to me"" to get up to speed on a new project. Or, you can start an interactive session to brainstorm ideas, write tricky bits of code, or fix a nasty bug. You can even attach images as input (e.g., "codex -i screenshot.png "Explain this error"") to give the agent visual context.

Automated code reviews

Codex can be a massive help in reviewing pull requests on GitHub or running code reviews locally from the CLI. It goes way deeper than typical static analysis tools because it understands the intent behind the code, not just the syntax. This leads to more useful feedback and higher-quality code.

Scripting and automation

Using the "codex exec" command, you can script repeatable workflows to automate all sorts of development tasks. Think about things like automatically updating a changelog after a merge, running pre-commit checks to catch issues early, or generating boilerplate code for new components.

Limitations and platform availability for the OpenAI Codex app for macOS

As powerful as Codex is, it's not perfect. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you jump in.

Why the new OpenAI Codex app for macOS is Mac only for now

This is a big one. The new Codex app, the command center we've been talking about, is only available on macOS at launch. OpenAI has said that a Windows version is planned, but for now, PC users miss out for the full desktop experience. The CLI does have experimental Windows support, but it's best used within a WSL workspace.

What gives with OpenAI making everyone but iOS a second class citizen? They do this with the desktop apps too...

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Limited IDE support

Right now, the official IDE extension is focused squarely on VS Code. While it’s a hugely popular editor, there’s a lot of feedback from the community about the lack of official support for other IDEs, especially the JetBrains suite support or Visual Studio.

A specialized tool for developers, not the whole team

It’s important to remember that Codex is built for one thing: software engineering. It’s an incredible tool for developers, but it’s not designed to help with tasks outside of that world.

While Codex is a fantastic tool for developers, what about the rest of your company? Teams in customer support, sales, and operations also need AI that understands their specific context and internal knowledge. This is where an AI teammate like eesel AI can fill the gap. Instead of learning from a codebase, eesel learns from your help center, past tickets, and internal docs. This lets it act as an AI agent for your help desk or an internal expert in Slack, providing specialized AI assistance to your entire organization.

OpenAI Codex pricing and availability for the OpenAI Codex app for macOS

Codex is included with existing ChatGPT subscriptions, though the usage limits depend on which plan you have. For a limited time, it's also available to Free and Go users to try out.

Subscription plans and usage limits

Here’s a breakdown of the plans that include Codex access, based on the official pricing details.

If you happen to hit your usage limits on any of these plans, you can purchase additional credits to keep working without interruption.

API key pricing

Another way to use the Codex CLI and IDE extension is with an API key, which is billed separately from the ChatGPT subscriptions. The pricing for the "codex-mini-latest" model is $1.50 per 1 million input tokens and $6.00 per 1 million output tokens. It's also worth noting there's a prompt caching discount, which can help lower costs on repeated queries.

Reading about these features is one thing, but seeing the app in action provides a much clearer picture. The official launch video from OpenAI offers a quick tour of the Codex app's interface and demonstrates how it manages multi-agent workflows on a Mac.

The official launch video from OpenAI offers a quick tour of the Codex app's interface and demonstrates how it manages multi-agent workflows on a Mac.

Final thoughts on the OpenAI Codex app

The new OpenAI Codex app for macOS is a genuinely big step forward. It acts as a powerful command center for managing AI agents, perfectly complementing the fast, interactive nature of the Codex CLI and IDE extension. For developers on a Mac, this ecosystem really changes the workflow, making it possible to tackle complex coding projects with parallel, asynchronous AI assistance.

It’s an incredible tool that gives developers their own AI assistant. But as companies become more AI-native, it’s clear they need solutions that can support every team, not just engineering.

Give your whole team an AI teammate

If you're looking for an AI that can learn your business operations, not just your code, check out eesel AI. You can invite an AI teammate to handle customer support, answer internal questions, and automate workflows across your entire company.