ChatGPT/Codex desktop UI hangs while sessions work via VS Code and mobile

What issue are you seeing?

The ChatGPT/Codex desktop UI on macOS hangs or fails to show a usable window, but the underlying sessions still work from other clients.

I can access and use the same ChatGPT/Codex sessions from:

• VS Code extension
• Mobile app / remote app

So this appears to be a desktop UI/runtime issue, not an account/session/backend issue.

Local evidence

open -n -a Codex returns/hangs but does not show a usable UI.

Process inspection showed ChatGPT running Codex-related processes using the Codex profile:

/Applications/ChatGPT.app/Contents/Resources/codex ... app-server
/Applications/ChatGPT.app/... --user-data-dir=/Users/sushil.maurya/Library/Application Support/Codex

Direct Codex binary launch previously reached app-server initialization:

Current reported app-server version: 0.133.0-alpha.1
Codex CLI initialized
state_changed ... next=connected

This suggests the backend/app-server works, but the desktop UI/window path is broken.

Expected behavior

Opening ChatGPT/Codex desktop should show a usable UI and allow selecting/continuing Codex sessions.

Actual behavior

The desktop UI hangs / no usable UI appears, while sessions remain accessible through VS Code extension and mobile.

Environment

• macOS
• Codex.app installed at /Applications/Codex.app
• ChatGPT.app installed at /Applications/ChatGPT.app
• Codex desktop version observed from app bundle: 26.519.41501
• Bundled Codex app-server version observed in logs: 0.133.0-alpha.1

Related reports

Possibly related:

• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/26507
• https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/19466
• https://community.openai.com/t/is-the-missing-codex-tab-a-bug-or-rollout-issue/1386192