OpenAI has added a new automation feature to Codex on macOS that changes how users can teach the app repeatable work. The feature, called Record & Replay, lets a user show Codex a workflow once and then reuse that workflow later as an automated process.
The update points Codex further beyond code assistance and into broader white-collar-work automation. According to the source, Codex is OpenAI's AI agent for coding and white-collar-work automation, and the new release gives it a more direct way to learn from a user's own actions.
What Record & Replay does
Record & Replay is built around a simple idea: a user performs a task once while Codex watches the workflow. Codex then turns that recording into a reusable "skill" that can be run again without the user manually repeating each step.
The source gives one example: uploading a YouTube video with metadata, a thumbnail, and subtitles. That kind of workflow involves several pieces of information and a sequence of actions. With Record & Replay, the user can walk Codex through the process one time, and Codex can later repeat the same process on its own.
The value of this approach is not only that it saves clicks. It also lets automation start from the way a person already works. Instead of describing every step in advance, the user demonstrates the workflow directly inside the Codex app on macOS.
Why reusable skills matter
A reusable "skill" gives Codex a memory of a specific workflow. That matters because many office and publishing tasks are not single actions. They are small chains of repeated steps, often involving uploads, metadata, files, and follow-up actions.
Record & Replay makes those chains easier to hand over to Codex. The user does not need to rebuild the process from scratch each time. Once the workflow has been recorded, Codex can use that recording as the basis for future automation.
Based on the source, the feature is framed as part of the Codex app rather than a separate product. It also depends on Computer Use being turned on. Computer Use has been available in the EU since June 16, but Record & Replay itself is not yet available in the EU, the UK, or Switzerland.
Where the feature is available
The regional limits are important. Record & Replay is not available yet in the EU, the UK, or Switzerland. Users in those regions may see Computer Use as available, but that does not mean this specific Record & Replay feature is available to them.
The source also says the feature requires Computer Use to be turned on. In practical terms, that means Record & Replay is tied to Codex's ability to observe and act on a computer workflow. Without Computer Use enabled, the app cannot use this new capability as described.
The app itself is free to download. However, the source notes that users need a paid ChatGPT account to get real use out of it. That distinction matters for anyone evaluating Codex as a daily automation tool rather than simply downloading the app to inspect it.
Other changes in version 26.616
Record & Replay is not the only change mentioned in version 26.616. The update also adds bulk actions for the Automations history. That gives users another way to manage the record of automated work inside Codex.
The same version also adds the ability to hand off threads between a local and remote host. This allows users to continue tasks on a connected machine, moving work between environments instead of keeping every task tied to one host.
Together, these changes make Codex look more like a workflow system than a single-session assistant. Record & Replay teaches the app a task from observation. Bulk actions help manage automation history. Thread handoff lets work continue across a local and remote host.
What this says about Codex
The update reinforces Codex's role as more than a coding assistant. The source describes Codex as OpenAI's AI agent for coding and white-collar-work automation, and Record & Replay fits that description directly.
For users, the key shift is that Codex can learn a workflow by watching it once. That makes automation less dependent on writing out detailed instructions and more dependent on demonstrating a real task. The result is a reusable "skill" that can repeat the process later.
The limits are still clear. The feature is for the Codex app on macOS, requires Computer Use to be enabled, and is not yet available in the EU, the UK, or Switzerland. But for eligible users, Record & Replay gives Codex a more practical path from watching work to repeating it.