Codex just became the ChatGPT desktop app, not a separate tool

OpenAI announced the update through its Codex Releases account on X on July 9. Codex, its AI coding agent, is now built into the ChatGPT desktop app rather than living as a separate tool. Developers can move between chat, code review, and editing without switching applications, as outlined in best practices for AI coding agents.

The update adds three things developers had been asking for: inline Markdown and code editing in the desktop app, GitHub pull request review from the sidebar instead of a separate browser tab, and support for multi-repo projects so a single Codex session spans more than one codebase. This move toward deeper integration mirrors Cursor's recent shift to visual interaction.

Codex's Computer Use mode now runs faster, thanks to GPT-5.6, and mobile connection reliability has improved for developers who start a task on desktop and check on it from their phone. GPT-5.6 Sol (max) recently topped the CritPt physics benchmark, suggesting the speed gains may come from genuine architectural improvements rather than just scaling.

The move continues OpenAI's push to fold Codex into its broader agent lineup rather than keep it as a standalone product. That strategy parallels OpenAI's quietest shift this year: agents that work in packs. Full details are available in OpenAI's Codex changelog.