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.