Please allow changing the default Codex workspace directory on macOS
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.810.52044
What subscription do you have?
Pro
What platform is your computer?
macOS
What issue are you seeing?
related to https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/32039
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Description
The ChatGPT macOS app currently uses:
~/Documents/Codex
as the default location for projectless Codex/Work sessions.
This is a serious problem on macOS because many users enable iCloud Drive → Desktop & Documents Folders. When that option is enabled, the entire ~/Documents directory is synchronized with iCloud.
As a result, Codex automatically creates working directories, generated files, temporary artifacts, and other development-related data inside an iCloud-synchronized directory.
For development workloads, this is a very undesirable default.
Why this is a problem
When ~/Documents is managed by iCloud Drive:
- Codex workspaces are automatically uploaded to iCloud.
- Large or frequently changing development files can generate unnecessary synchronization traffic.
- Temporary/generated files are synchronized even though they do not need cloud storage.
- File changes made by Codex can trigger continuous iCloud synchronization.
- Developers may unintentionally store source code or generated artifacts in iCloud.
- iCloud’s file-provider behavior can potentially interfere with tooling that expects normal local filesystem semantics.
- Users cannot simply move the Codex directory elsewhere because the application currently expects the projectless workspace under ~/Documents/Codex.
This makes ~/Documents a particularly poor default for a development workspace on macOS.
Expected behavior
Please provide a configurable default workspace directory for projectless Codex sessions.
For example:
~/Developer/Codex
or:
~/Library/Application Support/ChatGPT/Codex
or any user-selected directory.
A setting such as:
[desktop]
projectless_workspace_root = "/Users/example/Developer/Codex"
would also solve the problem.
Ideally, the macOS application should expose this through the UI:
Settings
→ Codex
→ Default workspace location
Suggested default
Even without adding a preference, ~/Documents/Codex should probably not be the default on macOS.
A development workspace belongs more naturally under a directory such as:
~/Developer/Codex
or an application-specific local data directory.
~/Documents has special meaning on macOS because Apple explicitly allows the entire directory to be managed by iCloud Drive.
Environment
- macOS
- ChatGPT desktop app
- iCloud Drive enabled
- “Desktop & Documents Folders” enabled
Summary
Please make the default Codex workspace directory configurable.
Using ~/Documents/Codex unconditionally causes Codex development data to be synchronized to iCloud for users who enable Apple’s standard Desktop & Documents synchronization feature. This is unnecessary, potentially expensive in storage and synchronization activity, and inappropriate for temporary development workspaces.
What is the expected behavior?
_No response_
Additional information
_No response_