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Codex Issues / #24417

Add Delete option for Codex desktop threads and archived threads

Open 💬 6 comments Opened May 25, 2026 by kehaojiang433-hash
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor) responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.

What variant of Codex are you using?

Codex desktop app on Windows

What feature would you like to see?

I would like Codex desktop to add a real Delete option for threads, including archived threads.

Archive is useful for hiding old threads, but it is not the same as deletion. ChatGPT already has a clearer Archive vs Delete workflow, and Codex should provide the same level of control.

This matters because Codex threads can contain sensitive local context, including code, file paths, command output, logs, diffs, project names, and sometimes personal notes. Users should not have to manually inspect internal folders or guess which local session files are safe to remove.

Suggested improvements:

  • Delete current thread
  • Delete archived thread
  • Delete all archived threads
  • Show what local/session data will be deleted before confirmation
  • Provide a way to open or clear local session storage from the UI

I am a loyal OpenAI/Codex user and I really want this product to keep getting better. Thank you for considering this.

Additional information

Related existing request: #13018
I am adding a Windows desktop user perspective.

View original on GitHub ↗

6 Comments

github-actions[bot] contributor · 1 month ago

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

  • #13018
  • #23837
  • #23991
  • #24343

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Aesthermortis · 1 month ago
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate. Allow to delete threads in the Codex app #13018 Delete conversations from the left sidebar #23837 Codex Desktop delete leaves local session index, logs, and desktop-state residues #23991 there should be an feature to delete some chat? #24343 _Powered by Codex Action_

It's not a duplicate; it's the same thing but poorly implemented, fragmented, and with steps that discourage users from deleting. It involves privacy, security, and trust in the platform.

Aesthermortis · 1 month ago

This issue should not be closed as solved until users can delete an active/current thread directly from the thread UI, without archiving it first.

Deleting archived sessions is useful, but it is only one subset of the requested behavior. A complete fix should include:

  • Delete current/active thread
  • Delete archived thread
  • Delete all archived threads
  • Clear the associated local session data, indexes, and logs, or explicitly document what remains
  • Show a confirmation explaining what will be removed
  • Avoid requiring users to inspect internal folders manually

Archive should remain a non-destructive hide action. Delete should be a direct destructive action.

0xdevalias · 1 month ago

Tangentially relevant:

lucasvicente-com-ar · 10 days ago

I’m adding another user report for this because the current behavior is confusing and insufficient.

In Codex Desktop, archiving a thread is not the same as deleting it. Users expect a clear Delete action for the current/active task from the sidebar or task menu. Requiring users to archive first, then find a separate archived-chats screen, is not discoverable and does not answer the common privacy/data-retention expectation: "remove this chat/task now".

Observed problem:

  • The visible task menu exposes Archive, but not a direct Delete action.
  • Users reasonably interpret Archive as hiding, not deletion.
  • The UI does not clearly explain whether deletion removes local session files, indexes, workspace metadata, or only hides the entry.
  • On Windows, this is especially frustrating because users should not have to inspect .codex folders manually to clean up task history.

Requested behavior:

  • Add a direct Delete task/thread action to the active task menu.
  • Make deletion semantics explicit: local-only vs synced, session data vs workspace files.
  • Remove the task from the UI immediately after deletion.
  • Keep Archive and Delete as separate actions, because they mean different things to users.
megamorphg · 9 days ago

It's not that bad now because at least now there is a "trashcan" of sorts:

  1. Archive
  2. Go to settings and Delete All (archived)