Intermittent attach/appshot failure: both ⌘⌘ and Attach fail until starting a new chat

Codex app version

26.601.21317 — released Jun 2, 2026

Platform

• macOS Tahoe 26.5
• Apple Silicon MacBook Pro
• Pro plan

Summary

Codex Desktop has an intermittent attachment/appshot bug where attaching the current app context can fail even when using both available entry points.

In the affected conversation, I tried to attach the current app/project context using:

• double Command shortcut,
• the + / Attach menu,
• Attach StepLens from the menu.

However, Codex showed an error toast:

Unable to attach appshot

The attachment could not be completed from that conversation.

Observed behavior

• The attach UI appears available.
• Clicking Attach StepLens or using the shortcut attempts to attach the appshot.
• Codex fails with Unable to attach appshot.
• Retrying from the same conversation does not reliably fix it.
• Opening a new conversation allows attachment to work again.

Expected behavior

Attaching the current app context/appshot should work reliably from an existing conversation. If the current app/project is attachable, both the double-Command shortcut and the Attach menu should produce the same stable result.

If attachment fails, Codex should provide a more actionable error message explaining why it failed and how the user can recover without needing to start a new conversation.

Actual behavior

Attachment can fail in an existing conversation with only a generic Unable to attach appshot message. The user may need to open a new chat to make attachment work again.

Reproducibility

I do not currently know the exact trigger and cannot reliably reproduce it on demand. The issue appears intermittent. However, the practical impact is serious because the attach feature becomes unstable and cannot be trusted during normal project workflows.

Impact

Attach/appshot is a core workflow feature. When it fails, users cannot provide Codex with the current app/project visual context in the active conversation. This interrupts ongoing work and forces users to abandon the current thread and start a new one, which can lose continuity and waste time.

Request

Please investigate why appshot attachment can get stuck in a failed state for a specific conversation while working again in a newly opened conversation. The attach state should recover automatically, or Codex should expose a clear retry/reset path without requiring the user to create a new chat.

<img width="2048" height="1771" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/899cbef3-3e6d-4e47-924a-ff8b24292910" />

<img width="730" height="560" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5ae77c0d-b613-4c6a-8d5c-b2b09287c3ef" />