Fix Codex Chrome and Computer Use Missing in Project Tasks

If Chrome and Computer Use work in a projectless Codex task but disappear in a task attached to a local project, rebuild that project's Workspace state. Open the affected project, go to Project Settings > Configuration, choose Reset and install Workspace, wait for installation to finish, and create a new task in the same project.

This workaround was verified on Codex Desktop 26.730.61639 for macOS. A fresh project task could call the browser runtime, open https://example.com/, read the title Example Domain, and inspect Finder through Computer Use. The underlying update regression is still open, so treat the reset as a workaround rather than a permanent product fix.

Confirm You Have the Project-Specific Failure

Before resetting anything, distinguish stale Workspace provisioning from a general Chrome or Computer Use setup problem.

Prerequisites

• Codex Desktop is updated and has been fully restarted.

• The Chrome and Computer Use plugins are installed and enabled.

• Chrome is running with the ChatGPT extension enabled in the active profile.

• On macOS, Codex Computer Use has Screen Recording and Accessibility permission.

• Your current project changes are saved or committed to a branch you control.

Run this read-only repository check from the project directory:

git status --short

Expected result: you know which files are modified or untracked before changing Workspace configuration. The reset reported in the source issue did not delete project files, but preserving a clear repository state makes any unrelated change obvious.

Now compare two new tasks in the same Codex Desktop process:

1. In a new task attached to the affected project, ask: @Chrome open https://example.com and return the page title.

2. In that task, ask Computer Use to inspect a harmless local app such as Finder without changing anything.

3. Create a new projectless task and repeat the same two read-only tests.

The reported failure signature is:

same Mac and desktop app
same enabled plugins
same Chrome profile

project task     -> Chrome or Computer Use is missing or not callable
projectless task -> the same tool works

Do not accept a response that merely says the Chrome or Computer Use skill is installed. In the August 5 report, a project task could see the skill instructions while the executable mcp__node_repl__js capability was absent. A successful call that returns the page title or app state is the health check.

If both task types fail, skip to When both project and projectless tasks fail. That points to plugin, browser-profile, permission, or app-wide connection state instead.

Reset and Reinstall the Project Workspace

Use the desktop UI for the affected project:

1. Open the project in Codex Desktop.

2. Open Project Settings.

3. Select Configuration.

4. Choose Reset and install Workspace.

5. Wait for the installation to complete without closing the app.

6. Create a new task in that project. Do not reuse the task that captured the stale tool set.

Expected result: the new project task receives a callable browser runtime. The source report verified both sides of the shared path:

• Chrome opened https://example.com/ and returned Example Domain.

• Computer Use returned Finder's accessibility tree and a screenshot.

Repeat the same bounded checks. Keep the browser test on example.com, and ask Computer Use only to inspect a harmless app. This proves execution without exposing a signed-in site or allowing a state-changing desktop action.

Why the Workspace Reset Works

The evidence points to stale or incomplete tool provisioning attached to one project Workspace after the desktop update. Installed plugin instructions, the browser backend, and the actual callable tool are separate layers:

plugin installed and enabled
  -> Workspace configuration generated
  -> tool runtime provisioned for a new task
  -> Chrome or Computer Use call succeeds

The failing project reached the first layer but not the last one. Reset and install Workspace appears to rebuild the project-specific configuration before a new task takes its tool snapshot. That explanation is an inference from the reproduction and successful reset, not an official root-cause statement from OpenAI.

This boundary also explains why an old task can remain broken after the reset. Tools are added to new chats after plugin installation or configuration changes, so verification belongs in a newly created task.

Do Not Apply These Look-Alike Fixes

Do not remove features.js_repl = false

The source report confirmed that this generated setting remained present after Chrome and Computer Use recovered:

[features]
js_repl = false

Codex reports the legacy JS REPL feature as removed. The bundled plugins use the current tool runtime. Manually deleting the line did not restore the missing project tool and Codex may write it back.

Do not hand-write global MCP server blocks

The successful reset did not require global [mcp_servers.node_repl] or [mcp_servers.computer-use] entries. Reconstructing generated paths by hand can leave configuration tied to an old application bundle or plugin version.

Do not reinstall the plugins before proving the boundary

In the reported incident, reinstalling both bundled plugins completed successfully but did not restore the project task. A working projectless task already proves that the shared installation can execute the tools. Reset the affected Workspace first.

Do not delete the project or clear local Codex state

The verified workaround kept the project files intact. Deleting the project, erasing ~/.codex, or clearing app support directories expands the blast radius without targeting the stale per-Workspace state.

When Both Project and Projectless Tasks Fail

Use OpenAI's documented setup checks when the failure is app-wide.

For Chrome:

1. Confirm the requested site is not blocked under Settings > Computer Use > Google Chrome > Manage.

2. Close the ChatGPT side panel, restart Chrome, and reopen the extension.

3. Confirm the Chrome plugin is enabled in Codex.

4. Confirm the extension is installed in the Chrome profile you are actually using.

5. Start a new task and retry.

6. Restart Codex Desktop if the new task still cannot connect.

For Computer Use on macOS, open System Settings > Privacy & Security and confirm Screen Recording and Accessibility access for Codex Computer Use. System permissions and in-app app approvals are separate, so verify both.

Expected result: a new projectless task can make the harmless Chrome and Finder calls. Once that baseline works, return to the project and run Reset and install Workspace.

If Reset and Install Workspace Does Not Restore the Tools

Use a projectless task as a temporary path only if it can perform the required work safely. Do not assume it has the same project files or instructions as the attached project.

Then report the regression from Codex with /feedback. Include:

• Codex Desktop version and build.

• macOS version.

• Whether the Chrome and Computer Use plugins are enabled.

• Whether a new projectless task succeeds.

• Whether a new project task still fails after Reset and install Workspace.

• The affected task ID, after checking that it contains no sensitive project information.

This comparison is more useful than a generic "browser is broken" report because it identifies the failing boundary without uploading repository contents.

Keep Structured Integrations Available

Chrome and Computer Use are useful when a workflow needs a signed-in browser or graphical interface. For repeatable data access, OpenAI recommends a dedicated plugin or MCP server when one exists. Aident Loadout gives Codex a separate path to discover and preflight connected Actions without editing browser or Workspace configuration.

From a terminal, verify one read-only Action:

aident account auth status
aident vault vault --action status

aident capabilities search \
  --targetEnv staging \
  --types '["action"]' \
  --queries '["read-only Action for my current task"]'

Inspect the exact Action name returned by search, then run aident capabilities get and aident capabilities preflight before execution. Expected result: Loadout reports authenticated account and Vault state, then returns a reviewed Action contract without exposing provider credentials.

Ready to verify a structured fallback? Set up Aident Loadout and preflight one read-only Action.

Sources

• OpenAI Codex issue 37036: Chrome and Computer Use missing in project tasks

• OpenAI: Chrome extension setup and troubleshooting

• OpenAI: Computer Use setup, permissions, and safety

• OpenAI: How plugins become available in new chats

Review this article when issue 37036 closes, OpenAI documents a different Workspace recovery path, the project settings labels change, or new Codex Desktop builds remove the regression.