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Codex Issues / #16783

Codex desktop app hides Plugins UI while plugin runtime and CLI marketplace are available

Resolved 💬 4 comments Opened Apr 4, 2026 by Pavel-Sennikov Closed Aug 5, 2026
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.325.31654

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 24.6.0 arm64 arm

What issue are you seeing?

The Codex desktop app does not show any Plugins entry in the sidebar or visible app navigation, even though plugin support is present and working in the same installation via the CLI /plugins command.

<img width="1974" height="1064" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/80d6a2c3-ab87-4d68-b1a4-8aa8f76f4683" />

<img width="1164" height="758" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d9d52a5f-1e05-4df7-af99-4131326119e3" />

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Open the Codex desktop app.
Look at the left sidebar/navigation.
Observe that Skills and Automations are visible, but there is no Plugins entry.
In Terminal, run codex --no-alt-screen.
At the Codex prompt, enter /plugins.

What is the expected behavior?

The desktop app should expose the plugin directory or plugin navigation, consistent with the official Codex plugins docs.
If plugins are available in the install, the app UI should provide a discoverable way to open them.

Additional information

codex-cli 0.118.0-alpha.2

View original on GitHub ↗

4 Comments

github-actions[bot] contributor · 4 months ago

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

  • #16298
  • #16133
  • #16006
  • #15962

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DmitriiSid · 2 months ago

Additional integration context from a third-party desktop companion app.

We are evaluating a Codex integration comparable to existing Claude Code and OpenCode integrations. Codex CLI appears to have the necessary plugin/hook primitives for installing a local companion plugin, but Codex Desktop plugin discoverability is important for this class of integration.

Current companion pattern:

  • installer copies agent-specific integration files into the user-level agent plugin/config location
  • agent plugin/hook opens a local desktop companion window through a custom URL scheme
  • plugin/hook exchanges request/response files or SDK calls with the companion app
  • settings UI shows one install command per supported agent

For Codex, the preferred path would be a first-class Desktop-visible plugin install/management surface that can show and manage the same local plugin used by CLI. Without Desktop plugin UI parity, users can install/use the CLI integration but cannot verify or manage it from the Codex Desktop app, which makes the Desktop story feel incomplete for third-party companions.

Useful Desktop behavior for this use case:

  • show installed local/third-party plugins, not only curated marketplace plugins
  • expose plugin status/trust/errors for hooks and MCP servers bundled by a plugin
  • document whether Desktop and CLI share the same plugin directory/runtime contract

This is separate from marketplace discovery: even a local plugin installed by a companion app needs a discoverable Desktop management surface.

neo-picasso-2112 · 1 month ago

yeah having the same issue here

etraut-openai contributor · 23 days ago

Desktop now exposes plugin browsing, details, install links, and state.