Openai's Codex Just Got Its Own Mac App - And Anyone Can Try It For Free Now

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• OpenAI launches a Mac-only Codex app arsenic an supplier bid center.
• Sandbox controls limit files writes and web entree for safer use.
• Switching betwixt IDE, terminal, and app keeps discourse crossed tools.

OpenAI coming announced a caller Mac app dedicated to moving pinch its Codex AI coding agent. This is different from nan general-purpose ChatGPT app that OpenAI has been shipping for a while. The caller coding app is intended to beryllium thing of a bid center, not only for directing coding agents, but besides for managing aggregate coding agents crossed projects and tasks that tally for agelong periods of time.

Also: I sewage 4 years of merchandise improvement done successful 4 days for $200, and I'm still stunned

In a briefing I attended pinch OpenAI executives a fewer days earlier nan launch, OpenAI cofounder and CEO Sam Altman said, "There's evidently been a immense displacement successful package agents complete nan past fewer months arsenic nan models person crossed a period of existent utility. 5.2, successful particular, is simply a exemplary that galore of america person recovered tin do highly analyzable things, and we realized we started to consciousness constricted by nan interface."

The caller Mac app is intended to thief mitigate that limitation.

OpenAI described Codex arsenic expanding from single-agent coding operations to being astatine nan halfway of multi-agent package lifecycles. Rather than pairing pinch a developer connected a azygous edit, OpenAI sees programmers arsenic coordinating teams of agents crossed each of nan design, build, ship, and ongoing attraction stages of work.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's genitor company, revenge an April 2025 suit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights successful training and operating its AI systems.)

Usage maturation and customer uptake

The latest type of Codex, GPT-5.2-Codex, only launched successful mid-December. Yet, according to nan company, Codex usage has astir doubled since that time, pinch much than a cardinal developers utilizing it successful nan past month.

I utilized it. In fact, pinch conscionable nan $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus plan, I found a enigma bug. Subsequently, I besides utilized GPT-5.2-Codex connected that aforesaid Plus scheme to adhd 2 reasonably important features to my information merchandise and vessel a awesome update.

Also: I utilized GPT-5.2-Codex to find a enigma bug and hosting nightmare - it was beyond fast

In nan briefing, Altman stated that GPT-5.2-Codex "is nan fastest adopted exemplary that we person ever made." He besides reported connected an utmost level of momentum utilizing this tool, pinch usage increasing much than 20 times since past August. In summation to independent developers for illustration me, nan institution reported that awesome customers see Cisco, Ramp, Virgin Atlantic, Vanta, Duolingo, and Gap.

Inside nan Codex app: parallel agents, skills, and automations

The caller app is designed to tally aggregate tasks successful parallel, and thief users supervise agents crossed longer end-to-end work. The institution is besides introducing skills, akin to those successful Claude Code. These are meant to let developers to specify repeatable workflows for illustration fetching logs and fixing tests, on pinch coding-adjacent tasks for illustration summarizing threads and completing tickets.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Right now, nan app is Mac only. However, I expect that location will beryllium a Windows app eventually. OpenAI shipped nan ChatGPT app successful Mac-only form, but immoderate months later launched a Windows version.

In summation to nan app itself, OpenAI announced a caller scheme mode for Codex that allows for a read-only reappraisal (meaning nan AI won't muck pinch your code) and selectable personalities. Personally, I've had conscionable astir capable characteristic from nan quality programmers I've managed, truthful I'd for illustration a nice, personality-free characteristic successful my coding agent.

Recently, OpenAI besides announced that Codex has an IDE hold for usage successful nan JetBrains IDEs. Readers whitethorn callback that back successful June I moved disconnected of PhpStorm, my favourite JetBrains improvement environment. I moved to VS Code simply because nan AI devices were much disposable for that environment. It's bully to spot JetBrains IDE readiness for those of america who for illustration it complete VS Code.

Also: Stop utilizing ChatGPT for everything: My go-to AI models for research, coding, and much (and which I avoid)

During nan briefing, I asked astir nan narration betwixt nan various coding options now offered pinch Codex. We tin codification successful our favourite IDE, successful nan terminal, and now successful this caller app. I wanted to cognize whether it would beryllium imaginable to get nan aforesaid richness of acquisition successful nan app that we person successful nan IDE, pinch our full codebase successful beforehand of us.

Sam told me, "I was astonished by this, but I did a reasonably large task successful a fewer days earlier this week and complete nan weekend." He said, "I did not unfastened an IDE during nan process. Not a azygous time. I did look astatine immoderate code, but I was not doing it nan old-fashioned way."

He further told me, speaking astir this level of coding expertise from nan AI, "I did not deliberation that was going to beryllium happening by now. I ne'er had that acquisition before."

I was fixed entree to a preview build of nan Mac app. I recovered I was easy capable to activity successful my codebase. In fact, it knew astir my astir caller activity successful nan IDE. It conscionable automatically picked up from wherever I past near off. It seems that we'll beryllium capable to move betwixt immoderate coding devices we want, and Codex will support context.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Security exemplary and power connected section machines

Codex does person a unreality tool, which lives successful GitHub. In fact, that's really Codex initially launched. When I first tested it successful that context, I didn't for illustration it. But erstwhile I started moving pinch Codex connected my ain machine utilizing nan IDE extensions, I recovered that my productivity skyrocketed.

The problem pinch moving an AI connected a section computer, particularly pinch constitute access, is that it tin beryllium a information concern. In nan briefing, 1 of OpenAI's Codex developers posed nan interest from a creation perspective, saying, "If nan supplier runs connected nan user's computer, really do we make that arsenic safe and unafraid arsenic possible?"

Also: How to study ChatGPT successful an hr - for free

The cardinal is limiting sandbox entree to only approved folders. In my case, that's my task folder. The instrumentality besides has permissioned web entree and remembers approvals complete time. The caller Mac app adds a sandbox mode and lets developers group support levels, including Untrusted, On failure, On request, and Never (meaning nan app is ne'er permitted to inquire for elevated permissions).

What OpenAI expects adjacent for coding

The OpenAI improvement squad described its existent coding agents arsenic now reliable capable to fto it push full workflows into nan caller app. A number of nan OpenAI developers said that, successful conscionable nan past fewer weeks, they've started moving almost wholly successful nan Mac app. They haven't moreover needed to usage their IDEs aliases terminal windows.

OpenAI presently makes Codex disposable pinch constricted usage successful nan $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus plan. It offers overmuch much extended assets readiness successful its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan. While I ran into roadblocks building caller products (full days of coding) successful nan $20-per-month plan, I ne'er ran into a roadblock erstwhile I was utilizing nan $200-per-month plan.

Also: Is ChatGPT Plus still worthy your $20? I compared it to nan Free, Go, and Pro plans - here's my advice

But companies person asked OpenAI for thing more. It's not conscionable astir really galore tokens tin beryllium allocated. For those companies, it's astir velocity of computation. You tin hold rather a fewer minutes aft each awesome AI command. OpenAI said that it's looking astatine creating higher compute-intensive, speed-intensive tiers for companies consenting to salary for axenic speed. These would let for very agelong discourse coding activity and see high-speed infrastructure options.

Are you vibe coding?

To promote users to springiness Codex a try, nan institution announced, "For a constricted clip we're including Codex pinch ChatGPT Free and Go, and we're doubling nan complaint limits connected Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans." So consciousness free to springiness Codex a try.

Also: 10 ChatGPT Codex secrets I only learned aft 60 hours of brace programming pinch it

What astir you? Are you readying to effort nan caller Codex app erstwhile it launches, aliases do you for illustration sticking pinch an IDE hold for illustration VS Code aliases JetBrains? Have you utilized GPT-5.2-Codex (or different coding agents) for existent features and bug hunts yet? Did AI devices really prevention you time, aliases did they create cleanup and tech-debt headaches later? Comment below.

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