Localized desktop UI requires translated slash commands (e.g. /compact fails while /压缩 works)

Resolved 💬 2 comments Opened May 18, 2026 by jiangyuan Closed May 18, 2026

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

26.513.31313

What subscription do you have?

Not captured at filing time.

What platform is your computer?

macOS 26.3.1

What issue are you seeing?

In the Simplified Chinese desktop UI, English slash commands are not accepted as stable command names. For example, /compact does not work, while the localized command /压缩 is required.

This is a poor experience for a command-style interface. Slash commands behave more like CLI commands, IDE actions, or canonical developer shortcuts, so users reasonably expect the English command names to remain valid across locales.

This is more than a label-localization preference: it breaks compatibility with documentation, examples, muscle memory, and cross-language collaboration. A user reading English docs or copying /compact from another user cannot invoke the command in the Chinese UI.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

  1. Open the Codex desktop app.
  2. Use the Simplified Chinese UI / locale.
  3. Start a thread and type /compact.
  4. Observe that /compact is not recognized / does not trigger the command, while the localized picker suggests /压缩.
  5. Type /压缩 instead.
  6. Observe that the command is recognized and works.

Session id / token usage / context window usage: not applicable.

What is the expected behavior?

English slash commands should always remain valid regardless of UI language.

For example:

  • /compact should work in English, Chinese, and other localized UIs
  • /压缩 can exist as an optional localized alias
  • English slash command names should remain canonical and documentation-stable

Additional information

This seems related to #21388, which requested keeping English slash commands available in localized UI, but the behavior still reproduces in a way that blocks real command usage.

The attached screenshot (not included in this CLI filing) shows the Chinese slash-command picker suggesting /压缩, and manually typing /compact does not provide the expected command behavior.

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