ChatGPT Work Launches: Codex Merges Into ChatGPT Desktop, Free Users Get AI Agents (2026)

Three things landed on July 9 at once: the standalone Codex desktop app merged into the new ChatGPT desktop client, ChatGPT Work went live, and GPT-5.6 rolled out broadly as the model foundation for these capabilities. Existing users do not need a fresh install—updating the Codex app automatically upgrades it to the new ChatGPT desktop client, preserving projects, settings, and workflows. The previous ChatGPT desktop build was renamed ChatGPT Classic and remains available.

Common pain points users hit today:

• "Where did Codex go?" The standalone app is no longer available. You switch to Codex mode inside the unified desktop client, which changes the workflow path.
• Work vs Chat boundary blur Standard chat mode cannot run long, cross-app autonomous tasks. Starting a multi-hour job in Chat mode will stall mid-flight.
• Client-side permission gaps Free users are limited on the web; Computer Use and full Work capabilities require the desktop app. Plus and Business web access is still rolling out.
• Opaque usage Work and Codex share usage-based billing. Complex multi-step jobs are hard to forecast, and teams lack benchmarks before scaling.
• ChatGPT Work vs Claude Cowork Both pitch an "AI coworker," but local-file-first vs cloud-plus-SaaS design philosophies diverge sharply.

Among roughly 5 million weekly Codex users, more than 1 million already use it for non-coding work—after the merge, Codex-grade capability becomes accessible to everyday office professionals.

The new ChatGPT desktop app unifies Chat, Work, and Codex in one interface. All plans, including Free, can access all three modes through the desktop client.

Anthropic's Claude Cowork, launched in April 2026, and ChatGPT Work both target an "AI colleague," but the design philosophy differs:

Work lives in the browser and SaaS tools → choose ChatGPT Work. Work is mostly local files and repetitive document production → choose Claude Cowork. Serious 2026 workflows often run both.

ChatGPT Work is the centerpiece of this release: an AI agent that can work autonomously across apps for hours and deliver finished output. You state a goal; it drafts a plan for your approval, connects to Slack, Gmail, Google Drive, and similar tools to gather context, executes multi-step work independently, and returns documents, spreadsheets, slide decks, or web apps.

• 1400+ unified plugin directory: collaboration (Slack, Teams, Zoom), storage (Drive, SharePoint, Dropbox), email and calendar (Gmail, Outlook), CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, LinkedIn), dev and creative (GitHub, Canva, Zapier, Adobe). Type @app name in a prompt to pull targeted data.
• Plan Mode: for complex tasks, the agent lists execution steps first; you review and confirm before it runs, reducing drift.
• Computer Use (desktop): read and edit local files, browse the web in a built-in multi-tab browser, click, type, and move files on your behalf. Supports one-off or scheduled tasks.
• Finished deliverables: Word/PDF reports, Excel/Sheets data work, Slides/PPT presentations, Codex Sites interactive web apps—not just draft suggestions.
• Scheduled Tasks: run on a schedule, trigger, or recurring cadence so work continues after you step away.

Codex did not disappear. After the merge it gained new capabilities:

• Inline diff editing: modify code directly in the diff view
• PR sidebar review: review pull requests without leaving the interface
• Faster Computer Use: powered by GPT-5.6 with materially faster execution
• Multi-repo project support: one project can span multiple codebases

Developers can set Codex as the default launch mode and, on macOS, even keep the Codex app icon. The mobile ChatGPT app can also access desktop Codex projects.

More background in the OpenAI official announcement and The Verge launch coverage.

Desktop (recommended; all plans including Free)

1. Download or update the app: go to chatgpt.com/download for the Mac/Windows ChatGPT desktop app. Codex app users can update in place for automatic migration.
2. Switch to Work mode: after launch, select Work in the top navigation. Do not start long tasks in Chat mode.
3. Connect the plugin directory: authorize Gmail, Slack, Google Drive, and other work tools in the Plugins Directory.
4. Describe the task and review the plan: state your goal in natural language, wait for Plan Mode to list steps, then confirm or edit before execution.
5. Enable Computer Use (optional): when you need local files or browser automation, grant the required system permissions on desktop and test in a sandbox folder first.
6. Set up Scheduled Tasks (optional): configure schedules or triggers for recurring reports and monitoring jobs. Run small tasks first to observe usage before scaling.

Web and mobile access timeline

• Pro, Enterprise, Edu: web access available from July 9
• Plus, Business: rolling out over the following days
• Free: limited on web and mobile; use desktop for the full Work experience. Mobile can monitor Work tasks running on desktop

ChatGPT Work is not a separate paid feature. It is bundled into existing subscriptions but uses the same usage-based billing as Codex: more complex, longer tasks consume more quota. OpenAI has not published unit pricing; run known small tasks in Plan Mode first to benchmark consumption.

Citable hard data

• Plugin ecosystem scale: the unified plugin directory launches with 1400+ integrations, far beyond Claude Cowork's roughly 20 official MCP connectors.
• Codex user base: roughly 5 million weekly Codex users, with 1 million+ using it for non-coding work.
• Autonomous runtime: ChatGPT Work is designed for multi-hour cross-app execution, unlike single-turn Chat replies. Computer Use is GPT-5.6-powered; post-merge execution speed improved significantly.
• Enterprise controls: Business and Enterprise admins can set workspace defaults, group limits, per-user overrides, and credit request flows in the Admin Console.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I still use the standalone Codex app? No. As of July 9 it merged into the new ChatGPT desktop app. Update in place—projects and data are preserved.
• Can free users use ChatGPT Work? Yes on desktop, with usage limits. Web and mobile are not fully open to Free yet.
• How is ChatGPT Work different from ChatGPT Agent mode? Work is built for long tasks, cross-app work, and finished deliverables—multi-hour autonomy, plugin integrations, and Plan Mode. Standard Agent mode fits shorter, single-step jobs.
• How is ChatGPT Work different from ChatGPT Operator? Operator is a browser automation agent. Work is broader—plugin connections to external apps, local file access on desktop, and deliverable documents—aimed at multi-hour, multi-step projects rather than a single browser task.
• Will it get expensive? Usage scales with task complexity; there is no published unit price. Use Plan Mode on known tasks first, observe consumption, then scale.
• Will I lose my Codex projects? No. After updating, projects and settings are preserved. Mobile can access desktop Codex projects too.

This consolidation marks three shifts: competition moves from "best model" to "deepest workflow integration"; Codex's audience expands from developers to all knowledge workers; and one app now holds Chat + Agent + Coding + file control + scheduled tasks + a plugin ecosystem—OpenAI's "super app" taking shape.

ChatGPT Work's Computer Use and Scheduled Tasks demand runtime stability. A sleeping Mac, flaky shared Wi-Fi, or oversubscribed VMs dropping long connections can kill multi-hour agent jobs mid-run. Pure SaaS integrations also cannot replace pipelines that need root-level automation, Metal acceleration, or 7×24 uptime for mixed Codex/Work workflows.

For production environments running ChatGPT Work, Codex mode, or self-hosted agent orchestration, JEXCLOUD multi-region bare-metal Mac nodes are often the better fit: dedicated Apple Silicon, no virtualization overselling, 120-second delivery, and flexible monthly scaling as a 7×24 host for AI coworkers and coding agents. See node specs and pricing on the JEXCLOUD pricing page.