Add Delete option for Codex desktop threads and archived threads #24417

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1. kehaojiang433-hash

   added

   enhancementNew feature or requestNew feature or request

   on May 25, 2026
2. github-actions

   added

   appIssues related to the Codex desktop appIssues related to the Codex desktop app

   windows-osIssues related to Codex on Windows systemsIssues related to Codex on Windows systems

   sessionIssues involving session (thread) management, resuming, forking, naming, archivingIssues involving session (thread) management, resuming, forking, naming, archiving

   on May 25, 2026
3. github-actions commented on May 25, 2026

   

   github-actionsBot

   on May 25, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

   Contributor

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   Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

   • Allow to delete threads in the Codex app #13018
   • Delete conversations from the left sidebar #23837
   • Codex Desktop delete leaves local session index, logs, and desktop-state residues #23991
   • there should be an feature to delete some chat? #24343

   Powered by Codex Action

   👎React with 👎3Reacted by udrewicz, Aesther and David Nadaski
4. Aesthermortis commented on Jun 8, 2026

   

   Aesthermortis

   on Jun 8, 2026

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   Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

   • Allow to delete threads in the Codex app #13018
   • Delete conversations from the left sidebar #23837
   • Codex Desktop delete leaves local session index, logs, and desktop-state residues #23991
   • there should be an feature to delete some chat? #24343

   Powered by Codex Action

   It's not a duplicate; it's the same thing but poorly implemented, fragmented, and with steps that discourage users from deleting. It involves privacy, security, and trust in the platform.
5. Aesthermortis commented on Jun 8, 2026

   

   Aesthermortis

   on Jun 8, 2026

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   This issue should not be closed as solved until users can delete an active/current thread directly from the thread UI, without archiving it first.

   Deleting archived sessions is useful, but it is only one subset of the requested behavior. A complete fix should include:

   • Delete current/active thread
   • Delete archived thread
   • Delete all archived threads
   • Clear the associated local session data, indexes, and logs, or explicitly document what remains
   • Show a confirmation explaining what will be removed
   • Avoid requiring users to inspect internal folders manually

   Archive should remain a non-destructive hide action. Delete should be a direct destructive action.

   👍React with 👍2Reacted by Glenn 'devalias' Grant and David Nadaski
6. 0xdevalias commented on Jun 12, 2026

   

   0xdevalias

   on Jun 12, 2026

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   Tangentially relevant:

   • Codex Desktop delete leaves local session index, logs, and desktop-state residues #23991
7. lucasvicente-com-ar commented on Jul 10, 2026

   

   lucasvicente-com-ar

   on Jul 10, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

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   I’m adding another user report for this because the current behavior is confusing and insufficient.

   In Codex Desktop, archiving a thread is not the same as deleting it. Users expect a clear Delete action for the current/active task from the sidebar or task menu. Requiring users to archive first, then find a separate archived-chats screen, is not discoverable and does not answer the common privacy/data-retention expectation: "remove this chat/task now".

   Observed problem:

   • The visible task menu exposes Archive, but not a direct Delete action.
   • Users reasonably interpret Archive as hiding, not deletion.
   • The UI does not clearly explain whether deletion removes local session files, indexes, workspace metadata, or only hides the entry.
   • On Windows, this is especially frustrating because users should not have to inspect .codex folders manually to clean up task history.

   Requested behavior:

   • Add a direct Delete task/thread action to the active task menu.
   • Make deletion semantics explicit: local-only vs synced, session data vs workspace files.
   • Remove the task from the UI immediately after deletion.
   • Keep Archive and Delete as separate actions, because they mean different things to users.
8. megamorphg commented on Jul 11, 2026

   

   megamorphg

   on Jul 11, 2026

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   It's not that bad now because at least now there is a "trashcan" of sorts:

   1. Archive
   2. Go to settings and Delete All (archived)
9. mppanayotov commented on Jul 26, 2026

   

   mppanayotov

   on Jul 26, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

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   I can also reproduce this separately on Windows.

   Environment:

   • Codex app version: 26.721.41059
   • Platform: Windows 11 x64
   • Subscription: ChatGPT Plus

   This report specifically concerns native Codex threads, not regular ChatGPT conversations displayed in the desktop app.

   Observed behavior:

   • The active Codex thread menu provides an Archive action.
   • It does not provide a direct Delete action for the current individual thread.
   • Archiving and deleting are semantically different operations.
   • Requiring the user to archive a thread first and then manage archived chats elsewhere does not provide direct deletion from the thread UI.

   Expected behavior:

   • Provide a separate Delete thread action in the active thread/sidebar menu.
   • Keep Archive as a non-destructive hide action.
   • Require confirmation before permanent deletion.
   • Remove the deleted thread from the UI immediately.
   • Clearly explain whether deletion removes synced conversation data, local session files, indexes, logs, and other thread references.

   This remains distinct from #33589. That issue concerns ordinary ChatGPT chats shown inside the combined desktop app; this issue concerns native Codex thread management.
10. kingllj commented on Aug 20, 2026

    

    kingllj

    on Aug 20, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

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    Additional Windows reproduction supporting this feature request:

    • Codex Desktop currently exposes archive behavior, but the user could not find a manual permanent-delete action for a local thread.
    • A third-party session manager permanently removed the thread's rollout JSONL.
    • Codex Desktop still retained the thread in the sidebar/session index.
    • Opening the orphaned entry then failed with: failed to resolve rollout path '<redacted>': file does not exist.

    This shows why deletion should be a first-class, atomic Desktop operation rather than requiring users to manipulate internal session files.

    Suggested behavior:

    1. Provide Delete thread for both active and archived threads.
    2. Delete the rollout body and all associated index/state references atomically.
    3. Allow deletion of an orphaned sidebar entry even when its rollout file is already missing.
    4. Run startup reconciliation for stale indexes whose rollout paths no longer exist.
    5. Show a clear confirmation describing which local data will be removed.

    Environment: Codex Desktop on Windows. No conversation content, account identifiers, or local user paths are included here.