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Your MacBook can now keep working even with the lid shut. OpenAI has rolled out a new Computer Use feature for the Codex desktop app on macOS, giving its AI agent the ability to interact with apps on a Mac even when the machine is locked and the screen is off.
That changes the usual rhythm of desktop automation. Instead of keeping a laptop open on a desk, users can send a task to Codex from their phone and have it run directly on their Mac in the background. No unlocked display. No active session on screen. Just a lock screen notice reading, Codex is Using Your Mac.
The feature depends on a Computer Use extension, along with system permissions for Screen Recording and Accessibility. Once those are enabled, Codex can work inside approved apps much like a human operator would. It can click through interfaces, type text, open menus, and interact with the clipboard.
More than command line automation
This is where the update gets interesting for developers and power users. OpenAI says the tool is designed for tasks that are awkward or painfully limited in a terminal. Think reproducing user interface bugs, adjusting app settings buried in graphical menus, or running workflows inside desktop software that simply cannot be handled cleanly through command line tools.
In practice, that gives Codex a wider reach across macOS. It is no longer confined to text-based operations or scripted environments. It can step into the visual layer of the operating system, where many real-world support, testing, and app management tasks actually happen.
OpenAI says Codex asks for permission before accessing any new app. Users can also mark selected apps for permanent access, which should make repeated workflows less disruptive. Even so, the security implications are hard to ignore. Any tool with screen visibility, accessibility controls, and clipboard access sits close to the heart of the system, so trust and permission design will matter as much as convenience.
For now, the rollout does not include countries in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland. OpenAI has not detailed when availability will expand to those markets.
It is a small update on paper, but it points to something bigger. AI agents are moving beyond chat windows and code suggestions. They are starting to operate computers the way people do, by navigating apps, clicking buttons, and handling on-screen tasks without constant supervision. For macOS users, Codex just took a notable step in that direction.
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