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Deep diveCodex / Remote terminal / Mobile

Use the Codex CLI from your phone

Use Codex on mobile two ways: OpenAI’s remote connections for the ChatGPT desktop app, or a real terminal on your Mac, Windows or Linux PC for the Codex CLI.

Foxl TeamUpdated 5 min read

A phone and a laptop cut from paper, joined by one path: the terminal on the laptop screen is the one the phone shows.
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Reviewed against the shipped implementation and retained tests on October 7, 2026.

OpenAI’s own route is remote connections: the ChatGPT app on iOS or Android controls the ChatGPT desktop app on a Mac or Windows PC, and OpenAI says it cannot be set up from the Codex CLI. If you work in the Codex CLI, or on Linux, open a terminal on your own computer from your phone instead. Foxl does that, for free.

Here is what that looks like. The same request was typed on an iPhone twice, once into the Codex CLI and once into Claude Code. Each ran the project’s tests on the computer, found the bug, fixed one line and ran the tests again.

A zsh terminal in the Foxl iPhone app running the Codex CLI. Under the request Run the tests and fix whatever is failing, Codex explains that applyCoupon used 20 as the multiplier, shows a diff of src/cart.js that divides coupon.percent by 100, then Ran npm test and Fixed the coupon calculation: npm test passes all 3 tests. The footer reads GPT-6 Sol low, ~/projects/shop-api.
The Codex CLI, driven from an iPhone: it traced the failing test to one line in src/cart.js, fixed it and re-ran npm test.
A zsh terminal in the Foxl iPhone app running Claude Code. A diff of src/cart.js divides coupon.percent by 100, followed by Ran 1 shell command and All three tests pass now, with the explanation that a 20 percent coupon took off 20 times the subtotal. The footer reads accept edits on.
Claude Code, same request, same terminal: the same one-line fix, and all three tests pass.

On this demo computer both CLIs reach Amazon Bedrock. With a ChatGPT or Claude sign-in, or an API key, the path is the same: the phone only drives the CLI that is already set up on the computer, and the full-screen interface stays intact at phone width.

Option 1: OpenAI remote connections

This controls Codex inside the ChatGPT desktop app. OpenAI lists what it needs:

  • Codex access in the ChatGPT account and workspace you use.
  • The latest ChatGPT app on an iPhone or Android phone.
  • The ChatGPT desktop app on a Mac or Windows PC that is awake, online and signed in to the same account.
  • Setup from the desktop app: Settings > Connections > Control this Mac or PC. OpenAI notes that availability can vary by rollout.

Option 2: A terminal on your computer, opened from your phone

Here the phone is a window onto a real shell on your computer, so the Codex CLI runs exactly as it does at your desk, with your login and your files.

  1. Download Foxl from foxl.ai and sign in. It runs on macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 or later (64-bit) and Linux x86-64 (AppImage). Install it on the computer where codex already works.
  2. In Foxl on that computer, open Settings, then Connect > Mobile/Web, and check that the status reads Live. If it does not, press Enable remote access; from then on the Remote access switch turns it on and off.
  3. On your phone, sign in with the same account: the Foxl app for iPhone, the Android APK from foxl.ai, or app.foxl.ai in a browser. There is no pairing code; a green dot beside Foxl Agent in the sidebar means the computer is connected.
  4. In a chat, tap + below the message box and choose Terminal. A shell on your computer opens; the + at the top of the terminal opens another one.
  5. Type codex. It starts with your existing Codex login, because the terminal runs your usual shell with your usual environment. Then type your request in the same field; if it stays in Codex’s input box, press send once more with the field empty, which sends Enter on its own.
Foxl Settings open on Mobile/Web. The status reads Live: Desktop connected to api.foxl.ai. Your web and mobile clients can reach this machine end-to-end encrypted. Under Connected devices, the Remote access switch is on and Foxl Desktop is Online, with no web or mobile clients connected yet, and a safety code.
Step 2, on the computer: remote access is Live and waiting for a phone.
The Foxl iPhone app with the sidebar open. Beside Foxl Agent is a green dot, and a popover reads Desktop Connected, Foxl Desktop (macOS), Full agent access via tunnel. Below it are the computer's chats: Task list and team announcement, Extract action items and draft update, Amazon Bedrock Cost Growth Analysis and a Korean chat.
Step 3: the green dot beside Foxl Agent means the computer is connected.
The Foxl iPhone app's chat screen with the + menu open above the message box: Add photos and files, and Terminal, Run commands on your computer.
Step 4: + below the message box, then Terminal.

The computer has to stay awake and online. Turn on Keep running when closed in Foxl’s General settings so it stays reachable after you close the window.

Which one to use

OpenAI remote connectionsTerminal through Foxl
ComputerMac or WindowsMac, Windows or Linux
What you driveCodex in the ChatGPT desktop appThe Codex CLI, or any other CLI, in a real shell
On the phoneChatGPT app (iOS, Android)Foxl app (iOS, Android) or a browser
PricePart of your ChatGPT planFoxl is free; Codex still uses your plan or API key

What travels between the phone and the computer

Foxl’s relay carries the connection. Terminal output and what you type are encrypted between your phone and your computer with keys the relay never holds, once both ends run Foxl 0.6.27 or later. Live chat is protected by TLS only. The Desktop Relay docs describe exactly what is covered.

Questions people ask

Can I set up Codex remote access from the Codex CLI?

Not with OpenAI’s remote connections: OpenAI says mobile setup starts from the ChatGPT desktop app and cannot be set up from the Codex CLI or IDE extension. A terminal opened from your phone runs the CLI itself instead.

Does this work for Claude Code too?

Yes, as the second screenshot above shows. The Foxl terminal is a normal shell on your computer, so any CLI installed there runs, Claude Code and Gemini CLI included. Anthropic also offers its own Remote Control for Claude Code on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans.

Is it free?

Foxl, its phone apps and remote access are free. Codex itself uses your ChatGPT plan’s limits or your API key, as it does on the computer.

Does my computer have to stay on?

Yes. The terminal runs on your computer, so it has to be awake and online. Turn on Keep running when closed in Foxl’s General settings to keep it reachable after you close the window.

References and further reading

  1. OpenAI: Codex remote connectionsDocumentation
  2. OpenAI: Codex pricing and usage limitsDocumentation
  3. Anthropic: Claude Code Remote ControlDocumentation
  4. Foxl docs: Desktop Relay and its encryptionDocumentation