Windows Codex desktop: Send button spins forever and prompts never submit
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.820.7780.0
What subscription do you have?
pro x5
What platform is your computer?
Windows 11, build 26200.0, x64
What issue are you seeing?
In the ChatGPT desktop app with Codex, sending a follow-up prompt in an existing thread stops at the UI spinner: the message never appears in the conversation and no task begins. The Send arrow becomes visibly dimmer/less bright when clicked, then remains in the spinner state indefinitely.
Creating a brand-new thread and sending its initial prompt works normally in the desktop app. The failure begins with later messages/replies in that same thread.
The local Codex service can still list and read existing threads, and codex login status reports “Logged in using ChatGPT”. However, after clicking Send there is no task-start event in the desktop logs, suggesting the renderer/UI is failing before prompt submission.
I did not find a Windows application crash event or a missing-skill/configuration error.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Feedback ID: 01a03bb1-9d14-7b10-8669-0aa1f1592531
What is the expected behavior?
The prompt should be submitted promptly, appear in the thread, and start the requested Codex task. If submission fails, the app should show a clear, actionable error rather than an indefinite spinner.
Additional information
The problem also started after the latest Codex desktop-app update, so it may be update-related. It also began around the time I removed disabled third-party Caveman and Spec Kit skill installations; that is only a timing correlation, because the removals completed cleanly and no remaining missing-skill or configuration error was found.
The key contrast: I can still send messages to these threads from the ChatGPT Remote/mobile functionality. The failure is limited to submitting messages from the Windows desktop Codex UI.
I can provide a short screen recording and sanitized diagnostic logs if needed. Please advise on a safe profile/renderer reset that does not require closing the desktop app while I am connected only through ChatGPT Remote on mobile.
11 Comments
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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I am reproducing what appears to be the same issue on a newer Windows desktop build, 26.826.11250.
A new conversation accepts the first prompt normally. After the first response completes, typing a second prompt does not activate the Send arrow; it remains gray. Clicking it changes it to a spinner, but the message is not submitted. Existing conversations also open in this non-sendable state.
This affects both ChatGPT and Codex in the Windows desktop app. The same account/conversations work normally at chatgpt.com.
I have already tried app Repair, Reset, complete process termination, and logout/login.
Feedback ID: no-active-thread-01a04024-82a2-7452-b0ec-5c8ef68ff78c
I’m experiencing a very similar issue on Windows, but in my case it only happens when Codex Desktop is connected to remote Linux VPS hosts over SSH.
The issue affects two separate VPS hosts. New conversations may work initially, but existing conversations can become extremely slow, fail to display their content, or leave a submitted prompt spinning without starting the task. The behavior is intermittent: it may recover temporarily and then fail again.
Codex CLI works normally when run directly on either VPS, including moderately complex tasks. The VPS resources are healthy, and the remote app-server and proxy appear to be connected normally. This seems specific to the Windows Codex Desktop ↔ SSH remote app-server path rather than the VPS hosts themselves.
I have already repaired and updated the Windows app, restarted it completely, and run the Codex dependency diagnostics, which reported no problems.
I can confirm what appears to be the same issue on Windows.
Environment:
26.820.9563.026.820.71523In my case, existing conversations stop accepting new prompts: I can type normally and the Send button remains visible, but clicking it does nothing.
An important additional observation: creating a fresh Work conversation only fixes the problem temporarily. The new conversation works normally at first, but after some usage it eventually develops the exact same Send failure.
Troubleshooting performed:
.agentsownership verified — owner correctly matches the current Windows user, notCodexSandboxOfflineThe issue started immediately after the recent update.
This makes it look like a runtime/app-state regression rather than corruption of individual old threads or a local installation problem.
I have also opened a separate issue with more detailed diagnostics, but wanted to confirm here that #40968 appears closely related to what I am experiencing.
Same problem here. The app is unusable. No solution has been found to fix it.
Same problem. The desktop app is completely unusable.
Same problem from 2026-08-26
I was able to revert back to a working version by downloading the official OpenAI CDN URL for Codex Desktop 26.810.7004.0 at https://persistent.oaistatic.com/codex-app-prod/releases/26.810.7004.0/ChatGPT-x64.msix?utm_source=chatgpt.com. I then used powershell to remove the updated version and install this one. I am able to use the program again.
@jci731 Thank you — the rollback to 26.810.7004.0 is working for me too. I received two updates today, but neither fixed the issue, so I’ll stay on the working version while waiting for an official fix.
I have this exact same issue. I want in 26.820.9563.0. so, i reverted back to older codex version. Fix this serious issue. The codex is comletely unusable in the latest version 26.820.9563.0.
Just updated from MS Store. Looks like fixed in 26.825.3734.0