OpenAI extends Codex coding control to mobile via ChatGPT
The move serves as a competitive response to Anthropic’s Claude Code and lays groundwork for OpenAI’s broader desktop super app strategy.
OpenAI has enabled mobile access to its Codex coding application through the ChatGPT app on Android and iOS devices. The update allows users to monitor coding projects, receive real-time updates, and prompt the software remotely. This functionality transforms the mobile application into an intermediary tool, ensuring that sensitive files, credentials, and permissions remain secure on the host Mac or Windows machine rather than being exposed on the phone.
The feature is available to all ChatGPT users, including those on the free and Go tiers. While the mobile app does not run code directly, it facilitates remote control of the desktop agent. Users can track progress, view screenshots and test results, and receive notifications when the software requires a decision, thereby reducing downtime on development projects. OpenAI noted that Codex utilises a secure relay layer to keep trusted machines reachable across devices without exposing them to the public internet, while syncing active session state and context.
This release follows a recent major update to Codex that expanded its capabilities to operate applications on macOS. The company confirmed in March that it was developing a single desktop application to consolidate ChatGPT, Codex, and its Atlas web browser into a unified experience. The mobile integration is viewed as a foundational element of this broader super app project, providing the necessary scaffolding for a cohesive multi-device ecosystem.
The timing of the launch appears to be a strategic response to competitor Anthropic, which has offered mobile access to its Claude Code users since last autumn. OpenAI’s Codex coding app originally debuted last spring, followed by standalone releases for Mac and Windows. The new mobile capability aims to keep pace with industry shifts towards remote and flexible development workflows.
To utilise the new integration, users must update the ChatGPT app on their mobile devices and the Codex app on their Macs. OpenAI confirmed that support for connecting the Windows application is scheduled for release soon, though a specific timeline has not been defined.
