Codex macOS update made Codex appear to be deleted / app renamed to ChatGPT
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
Version 26.803.41515
What subscription do you have?
GPT Plus
What platform is your computer?
Darwin 25.6.0 arm64 arm
What issue are you seeing?
Hi OpenAI Support,
I would like to report a confusing and potentially problematic experience with the recent Codex-to-ChatGPT desktop app migration on macOS.
I was actively using the Codex desktop application on my Mac. Codex prompted me to restart/update the application. I followed the prompt.
After the restart, the Codex application appeared to be completely gone from my Mac.
It was no longer visible as Codex in my Applications folder, Spotlight could not locate a Codex application, and there was nothing in Trash indicating that I had deleted it.
This was particularly concerning because I have important Codex projects and ongoing work stored in the application, including automation projects.
I initially believed that the application — and potentially my Codex work — had been deleted during the update.
After troubleshooting, I discovered the following:
• /Applications contained only an application named ChatGPT.app.
• Finder showed that application as approximately 1.42 GB.
• Get Info for ChatGPT.app showed:
Kind: Application (Apple silicon)
Version: Codex v51.0.7922.76
Created: June 23, 2026
Modified: June 23, 2026
• When I opened that exact ChatGPT.app directly from Finder, it opened into Codex, and thankfully my existing Codex projects and conversations were still present.
• The application therefore appears to have been renamed/replaced from Codex to ChatGPT as part of the migration, even though its version information still identifies it as Codex.
I also already had a ChatGPT Safari web app installed on my Mac. That made the situation substantially more confusing because Spotlight showed ChatGPT but not Codex, and opening my existing ChatGPT shortcut took me to the Safari-based ChatGPT application rather than my Codex environment.
Expected behavior:
When Codex requests an update/restart that will rename or migrate the application to ChatGPT, I would expect the application to clearly explain before restarting that:
Codex is being migrated into the new ChatGPT desktop application.
The Codex application/icon may disappear or be renamed.
Existing Codex projects and conversations will be retained.
Users should open the new ChatGPT desktop application and select Codex.
Actual behavior:
After accepting the Codex restart/update, Codex appeared to vanish from my Mac without an obvious explanation of where it had gone. Because I had substantial work in Codex, this created the impression that my projects might have been lost.
My data ultimately appears to be intact, but the migration experience made it extremely difficult to determine that.
Please investigate whether this is expected behavior or a migration/update bug. In either case, I strongly recommend adding clearer messaging during the Codex-to-ChatGPT migration so users understand that the Codex application is changing identity and that their existing work is being preserved.
I can provide screenshots showing:
Spotlight no longer finding Codex.app.
Finder showing only ChatGPT.app.
Get Info showing ChatGPT.app with version Codex v51.0.7922.76.
The same application successfully opening my existing Codex workspace and projects.
Thank you.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Open the Codex desktop app on macOS and use it normally with existing projects and conversations.
Accept the in-app prompt to restart/update Codex.
Allow the app to restart.
After the restart, check the Applications folder and Spotlight for the Codex app.
Observe that Codex.app is no longer present and nothing appears in Trash.
In /Applications, observe that there is now only ChatGPT.app.
Open Get Info on ChatGPT.app and observe that the version identifies it as Codex v51.0.7922.76.
If an existing Safari-installed ChatGPT web app is also present, opening the normal ChatGPT shortcut may launch the Safari web app instead of the migrated native Codex/ChatGPT app, making it appear that Codex and its projects are gone.
Open /Applications/ChatGPT.app directly from Finder.
Observe that it opens into Codex and the existing Codex projects/conversations are still present.
Expected result: The update should clearly tell the user that Codex is being migrated/renamed to ChatGPT, preserve the Codex workspace, and make the new Codex entry point obvious after restart.
Actual result: Codex appeared to disappear completely after the restart. There was no obvious Codex app in Applications or Spotlight, and the presence of a separate Safari ChatGPT web app made it look like the Codex app and its data might have been lost. The existing Codex workspace was only recovered after manually opening /Applications/ChatGPT.app.
What is the expected behavior?
When Codex performs an update that migrates or renames the macOS application to ChatGPT, the transition should be clear and seamless.
After restarting, I expected:
My existing Codex workspace, projects, conversations, and settings to remain intact.
A clear notification explaining that the Codex desktop app had been migrated/renamed to the new ChatGPT desktop app.
The new application to provide an obvious way to access Codex immediately after the update.
Spotlight/Finder results to make it clear where Codex is now located rather than making it appear that Codex.app was unexpectedly removed.
If Codex.app is being replaced by ChatGPT.app, the updater should explicitly tell the user this before the restart and confirm afterward that their Codex projects and conversations have been preserved.
The user should never be left with the impression that Codex—and potentially their existing projects and work—was deleted as a result of a routine application update.
Additional information
_No response_