OpenAI Codex Record & Replay: new macOS feature and limits

OpenAI released a new feature called Record & Replay for the Codex app on macOS on June 20, 2026. The feature records a user walking the AI through a workflow once, converts that recording into a reusable 'skill', and can repeat the process autonomously, though it is not yet available in the EU, the UK, or Switzerland.

Codex is OpenAI's AI agent for coding and white-collar-work automation. The app is free to download, but OpenAI says you need a paid ChatGPT account to get real use out of it.

What is Record & Replay?

Record & Replay is a macOS feature that captures a single user walkthrough, turns that recording into a reusable "skill", and then repeats the recorded workflow automatically. Examples called out by OpenAI include walking the agent through uploading a YouTube video with metadata, a thumbnail, and subtitles, which Codex can then perform on its own for subsequent items.

The feature records the sequence of desktop actions and the decisions the user makes during the session. After the initial run the recorded steps become an automation that Codex can trigger without further manual intervention. Record & Replay depends on the app's ability to use the host computer, which OpenAI links to a setting called Computer Use.

What else is new in version 26.616?

Version 26.616 adds bulk actions for the Automations history and the ability to hand off threads between a local and remote host so tasks can continue on a connected machine. The update bundles those features alongside Record & Replay for the macOS Codex app.

Bulk actions let users operate on multiple automation history items at once, while the hand-off feature is designed to move work between a local machine and a connected remote host so a task can continue elsewhere. Those capabilities sit beside Record & Replay as workflow-oriented enhancements. The app remains free to download, but effective use of these features requires a paid ChatGPT account.

Why it matters

Record & Replay could convert one-off desktop workflows into persistent automations that Codex repeats without further human prompting, shifting routine white-collar tasks into agent-managed processes. That amplification targets both coding-adjacent work and administrative flows, making it faster to scale repeatable tasks across files and accounts.

The update also shows OpenAI adding practical tooling for managing many automations at once, via bulk actions, and for orchestrating work across machines, via thread handoffs. Those controls matter for teams that need to clean up histories or move long-running processes from a developer laptop to a server. At the same time, the region restrictions and the paid account requirement limit who can deploy these capabilities today.

What to watch

Watch for when Record & Replay becomes available in the EU, the UK and Switzerland, and whether OpenAI ties availability to Computer Use being turned on. Computer Use has been available in the EU since June 16, and whether that setting will unlock Record & Replay in those regions is the immediate rollout signal to follow.

Also watch how organizations use the new hand-off capability for cross-host workflows and whether the Automations history bulk actions change how teams manage accumulated recorded skills. The next signs of wider adoption will be availability updates and examples of cross-host or large-scale automation runs.