Codex Remote

Continue a Codex chat from your phone while the work runs on your own computer. You will pair a desktop host, send a small read-only request, and check the same result on both devices.

Before you start

• Codex access in the ChatGPT account and workspace you will use on both devices. A workspace administrator may need to enable Remote Control.
• Updated ChatGPT desktop and mobile apps, with a Mac or Windows host that is awake, online, and running the desktop app.
• An iOS or Android phone, your required sign-in verification method, and an existing desktop project with a harmless file such as a README.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

6 out of 10

Estimated completion time

30–60 minutes

Skills you’ll need: Configure the desktop host, pair your phone, and compare task state on both devices. Basic network troubleshooting may be needed.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

Remote access can let you answer a project question or review progress when away from your computer. Confirming the host and same conversation helps prevent a follow-up from reaching the wrong work.

1. 1

   Step 1: Prepare the computer that will do the work

   Open the project in Codex on the desktop host first. Choose a file you can recognize, such as the README containing your project name. Remote access uses this computer’s files, tools, credentials, plugins, and permissions.

   Keep the host plugged in and connected. If it sleeps, loses its connection, or closes the desktop app, mobile access stops until the host is available again. This workflow connects to your computer; it does not create a Codex Cloud environment.

2. 2

   Step 2: Pair the phone from desktop settings

   On the host, open Settings > Connections > Control this Mac or PC. Select Set up or Add, approve remote access, and complete any verification requested by your account.

   Scan the displayed QR code with your phone and finish the connection flow in ChatGPT. Confirm that the account and workspace match the desktop. Pair each phone with each host you want it to control.

   Tip: Setup starts in the desktop app. The Codex CLI and IDE extension cannot set up this mobile connection.

   Illustrated examplePair the phone with the computer that holds your project

   Example pairing · one phone + one host

   Studio MacOnline

   Start on the desktop

   1. Settings
   2. Connections
   3. Control this Mac or PC

   1Choose Set up or Add, then approve access.

   Northline Studio / README.md

   2Scan the desktop QR code

   Your phone

   Finish verification

   Studio Mac Paired host

   Open the project chat on this host.

   Match both ends: same account and workspace. The files and tools stay on Studio Mac.

3. 3

   Step 3: Open the host and send a recognizable request

   In ChatGPT on iOS, open Codex. If your mobile app still calls it Remote, open that instead. Select the paired host and open the existing project chat, or start a chat in that host’s project.

   Paste the prompt below with your README’s actual filename. Ask for a summary without edits so your first test is easy to verify. If Codex requests approval, read the action and its target before answering on your phone.

4. 4

   Step 4: Compare the result on both devices

   Read the reply on your phone, then open the same chat on the host. Check that the summary refers to the file you chose and that no edits were reported. A reply based on a different project is a reason to stop and check the selected host and chat.

   For later coding tasks, use the mobile chat to review progress, diffs, test results, and follow-up questions. Review what actually ran rather than treating a completed status as proof that the change works.

   Illustrated exampleUse a recognizable file to check the connection

   PhoneSame chat Studio Mac

   Example Codex replyRead: README.md

   • Northline Studio is a home interiors business.
   • The site presents services and completed projects.
   • Visitors can request a renovation quote.

   No files edited.

   Compare these details on both devices

   Project

   Northline Studio

   Does the reply describe your project?

   File named

   README.md

   Is it the file you asked Codex to read?

   Edits reported

   None

   Does the reply match your read-only request?

   Different project or file? Stop and check the selected host and chat.

5. 5

   Step 5: Restore a missing or disconnected host

   If the host is absent, check that the desktop app is running, both devices use the same account and workspace, and Allow other devices to connect is enabled. Update both apps and pair again if an old connection has been inactive since before June 8, 2026.

   Signing out turns off Remote Control while preserving pairings. After signing back in, enable Remote Control again. For a dropped session, wake the host and restore its network connection before retrying. If authentication still blocks setup, finish the SSO, multi-factor, or passkey flow and ask your workspace administrator to check Remote Control access.

On this connected host, read [README filename] in [project name]. Summarize what this project does in three bullets and name the file you read. Do not edit files, install anything, or run deployment commands. If the file is missing or you cannot access this project, explain the blocker instead of guessing.