6 min read

Codex and ChatGPT computer use on Windows: setup, phone remote and limits

Guide · updated November 2026 · Protime

In short: since July 2026 the Codex app is the new ChatGPT desktop app for Windows and Mac, with three modes: Chat, Work and Codex. In Work or Codex, computer use lets ChatGPT see and operate the programs on your PC, asking permission for each app. From your phone, the ChatGPT app can pair with the computer (Codex remote) to start tasks, approve commands and check results. On Windows there is one big catch: computer use works in the foreground, so it takes over mouse and keyboard, you cannot use the PC at the same time, and for work while you are away the PC must stay unlocked. OpenAI itself suggests a structured integration, such as a plugin or an MCP server, when one exists for the task.

What changed in 2026

On July 9, 2026 OpenAI merged the Codex app into a new ChatGPT desktop app for Mac and Windows; the previous desktop app was renamed ChatGPT Classic. The new app has three modes side by side:

Mode	What it is for	Computer use
Chat	Ordinary conversation	No
Work	An agent for longer tasks across apps, files and the web, producing documents, slides, sheets and sites	Yes
Codex	The coding agent: repositories, diffs, tests, pull requests	Yes

On the desktop app the three modes are offered on every plan, Free included, while Work on the web and on the phone requires a paid plan; usage limits and models depend on your plan.

Set up computer use on Windows

Install or update the ChatGPT desktop app for Windows and switch to Work or select Codex.
Open Settings > Computer use. Under Control, find Any App: install it if the row says Install, or turn the switch on.
Start a task by mentioning @Computer or the app's name, for example @Chrome, and describe exactly which app or flow to operate.
ChatGPT asks permission the first time it uses each app. Always allow skips the question next time; you can remove apps from that list in the same settings.

In a company workspace, the administrator decides whether computer use is allowed and which apps it can touch. Availability also depends on your region.

Use it from your phone: Codex remote

On the PC, open the ChatGPT desktop app, go to Settings > Connections > Control this Mac or PC and choose Set up.
Scan the QR code with your phone and sign in with the same ChatGPT account and workspace.
In the ChatGPT app, open Codex, pick the connected computer and start or continue a task. You can follow progress, approve the commands it wants to run and review the changed files.

Keep the computer awake and online. In company workspaces the administrator may need to enable remote access first. Other ways to drive a PC from a phone are compared in control your PC from your phone with AI.

What it does well

Checking or testing a desktop app, including one that ChatGPT itself is building.
Tasks that need your web browser, or a setting reachable only by clicking through an interface.
Reading information from an app that has no plugin or integration.
Workflows that move across several programs.

The limits on Windows

Limit	What it means in practice
Foreground only	It moves the pointer and types on the active desktop: you cannot use the PC while it works. On Mac it can work in the background
Unlocked PC	For tasks while you are away, the PC must stay unlocked and online; locked use exists only on Mac
Target app visible	The app it operates must be visible in the active desktop session
No terminal, no ChatGPT	It cannot automate terminal apps or ChatGPT itself, for security reasons
No admin prompts	It cannot sign in as administrator or approve security and privacy prompts
ChatGPT only	It works inside ChatGPT's desktop app, not from other assistants
Screenshots	What appears on screen is processed by ChatGPT, under your ChatGPT data settings

OpenAI's workaround for the first two points is to run the ChatGPT desktop app inside a Windows virtual machine, so computer use takes over the VM instead of your desktop.

Using it safely

Give it one clear app or flow at a time, and close sensitive apps that the task does not need.
Stay present for anything involving accounts, payments, passwords, security or network settings.
Use Always allow only for apps you trust it to open without asking.
Remember that in your browser it acts with your logins: web pages can contain misleading instructions, and sites treat its clicks as yours. You can ask it to use a different browser.
Stop the task the moment it starts working in the wrong window.

Computer use or structured tools?

Computer use sees the screen and clicks like a person, which works with anything but is slower and can misclick. Structured tools, such as an MCP server, call precise functions: run a command, read a file, press a named button. OpenAI's own documentation recommends the structured route when a plugin or MCP server exists for the task. The two approaches are compared in computer use vs MCP, and ChatGPT's connector options on Windows in ChatGPT MCP on Windows.

Where MCP DeskManager fits

DeskManager is our remote MCP server for Windows, and it works as a connector in ChatGPT as well as Claude. Most of its tools work in the background, so you can keep using the computer while ChatGPT works through them: persistent terminals, files with previous versions kept, a dedicated browser, and your real Chrome in a tab of its own. It can also operate programs without an API through Windows UI Automation, which acts on that program's window. Because it is a connector, it is available from ChatGPT on the web and on the phone without the desktop app in the foreground. Stick with computer use if the task is visual by nature, such as testing an interface, or if you work on a Mac.

Frequently asked questions

Can ChatGPT control my Windows PC?

Yes, with computer use in the ChatGPT desktop app, in Work or Codex mode. It asks permission for each app, and on Windows it works in the foreground.

What is Codex remote?

The pairing between the ChatGPT phone app and the ChatGPT desktop app on your computer: from the phone you start tasks on the computer, approve its commands and review the results.

Can I use my PC while computer use is working?

Not on Windows: it takes over the active desktop. On Mac it can work in the background. On Windows, a virtual machine keeps your own desktop free.

Does ChatGPT computer use work with the PC locked?

On Mac, with the locked use option. On Windows, no: the PC must stay unlocked.

Is the Codex app still available?

It became the new ChatGPT desktop app in July 2026: updating the Codex app turns it into the new app, where Codex is one of the modes.