Computer Use
Let a Codex chat control Mac apps and your browser tabs while you watch in a live app view.
What it is#
Computer Use lets a Codex chat open and operate apps on your Mac and work in tabs in your own browser. It clicks, types, drags, and reads the screen the way you would, and you watch it in a live app view.
- Codex chats only. ADE checks every action against the Codex turn that asked for it.
- Off by default. Nothing happens until you turn it on.
- Requires macOS 15 or later and an unlocked Mac.
Turn it on#
- 1Open Settings > Computer use and turn on Enable Computer use.
- 2Under Mac permissions, choose Grant access for Screen Recording, Accessibility, and Background input. macOS lists the helper as VideoDraft Computer Use.
- 3Choose Check permissions to confirm all three are granted.
- 4Pick App access. Auto lets Codex use apps without asking. Ask checks with you before it uses an app.
- Keep apps in the background is on by default, so Codex can work without pulling apps to the front.
- In Ask mode, Always allowed apps lists the apps you approved for good.
Watch and stop it#
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Stop task | Stops the work right away. |
| Hide app view | Hides the live view. Show app view brings it back. |
| Move to floating window | Moves the live view into its own window. |
| Show in chat | Puts the live view back in the chat. |
| Hide for this task | Keeps the live view hidden for the rest of the task. |
In Ask mode, Codex asks before it uses an app. Choose Allow for this task, Always allow, or Decline.
Work in your own browser#
The VideoDraft Browser Companion extension lets Codex work in your existing browser tabs in the background. It works in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi.
- 1In Settings > Computer use, under External browsers, choose your Browser, then choose Set up next to Background browser access. Finder opens the extension folder.
- 2In the browser, open the Extensions page, turn on Developer mode, choose Load unpacked, and select that folder.
- 3In the companion, choose Allow this profile to connect, then Copy token.
- 4Paste the token into Connection token in ADE and choose Save. ADE keeps the token in your Keychain.
What it will not do#
- It cannot control ADE itself, the Codex app, terminal apps such as Terminal, iTerm2, Ghostty, and Warp, or System Settings.
- It does not work while the Mac is locked, and says so in the chat.
- It is not available from another device through remote control.
- Plan mode and Enterprise data privacy turn it off.
- Scheduled runs can use it only when Allow Computer Use with Codex Auto is turned on, and they cannot ask for new approvals.
Ask the agent to check the setup
Any agent can check whether Computer Use is ready and what is missing, through the workspace tools. Ask before you start a long Computer Use task.