Windows Codex Desktop cannot enable Remote Control (Pairing with ChatGPT mobile fails) #31387

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1. gentlexx

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

   on Jul 7, 2026
2. github-actions

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   bugSomething isn't workingSomething isn't working

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

   remote

   on Jul 7, 2026
3. github-actions commented on Jul 7, 2026

   

   github-actionsBot

   on Jul 7, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

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

   • Codex remote control cannot start on Windows, CLI reports daemon lifecycle is Unix-only #30372
   • Intel Mac regression: Remote Control authorization fails before QR generation and App Snapshot always fails #31161

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4. Alpaca10086zyys commented on Jul 7, 2026

   

   Alpaca10086zyys

   on Jul 7, 2026

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   I ran into the same issue! I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Codex, cleaning up some files, and using Activity Monitor to close other running instances, but none of it worked.
5. vuhnyuc2 commented on Jul 10, 2026

   

   vuhnyuc2

   on Jul 10, 2026

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   Same here - please fix!
6. guyyst commented on Jul 11, 2026

   

   guyyst

   on Jul 11, 2026

   Last edited by guyyst

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   Some detailed error information would be nice here. My installation of the new Codex/ChatGPT app on a Windows 11 VM now just shows Pairing code unavailable: remote control pairing is unavailable until enrollment completes when attempting to add a device. Went through similar troubleshooting steps as OP with no luck.

   An installation of the same Codex version on my main Win 11 PC show the QR code just fine.

   
7. tinder-vasuhnyuck commented on Jul 11, 2026

   

   tinder-vasuhnyuck

   on Jul 11, 2026

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   Some detailed error information would be nice here. My installation of the new Codex/ChatGPT app on a Windows 11 VM now just shows Pairing code unavailable: remote control pairing is unavailable until enrollment completes when attempting to add a device. Went through similar troubleshooting steps as OP with no luck.

   An installation of the same Codex version on my main Win 11 PC show the QR code just fine.

   

   Stuck on the same step for windows 11 machine
8. guyyst commented on Jul 12, 2026

   

   guyyst

   on Jul 12, 2026

   Last edited by guyyst

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   Some detailed error information would be nice here. My installation of the new Codex/ChatGPT app on a Windows 11 VM now just shows Pairing code unavailable: remote control pairing is unavailable until enrollment completes when attempting to add a device. Went through similar troubleshooting steps as OP with no luck.

   An installation of the same Codex version on my main Win 11 PC show the QR code just fine.

   The specific pairing error I was seeing here seems fixed for the Win 11 VM which was showing the issue before, despite still being on the same version from July 9th. So likely a backend issue which is now solved (at least for me).
9. iloveicedgreentea commented on Jul 12, 2026

   

   iloveicedgreentea

   on Jul 12, 2026

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   I get this issue too with a brand new install as of this comment. So frustrating
10. jaythornfield commented on Jul 16, 2026

    

    jaythornfield

    on Jul 16, 2026

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    Same issue on Codex 26.707.12708.0 (MSIX, Windows 11 26200). Toggle turns on then flips off after ~2-10 seconds. Additional data points:

    • Reproduced with global proxy AND rule-based proxy — no difference
    • netstat capture during toggle shows NO blocked/SYN connection attempts, so it does not appear to be network-layer
    • codex remote-control start (npm CLI) fails with: "codex app-server daemon lifecycle is only supported on Unix platforms"
    • Chat and all other features work normally
11. molijeur-blip commented on Jul 29, 2026

    

    molijeur-blip

    on Jul 29, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

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    Additional reproduction on 2026-07-29:

    • Platform: Windows desktop
    • Codex app package: 26.721.4979.0 (Microsoft Store/MSIX)
    • Reproduction path: Settings -> Connections -> Control this computer -> Start setup -> Allow
    • Result: after clicking Allow, the UI shows the Chinese error "无法启用远程控制。请重试" ("Unable to enable remote control. Please try again.")
    • No QR code or pairing code is generated, so the ChatGPT mobile app cannot connect.
    • The normal Codex chat UI remains usable.

    This reproduces the same host-enrollment failure described in this issue on a newer Windows build.
12. NexD5701 commented on Oct 10, 2026

    

    NexD5701

    on Oct 10, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

    Last edited by NexD5701

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    Correction: My previous comment described a separate proxy/WebSocket issue affecting web access; it was not the mobile pairing-code fix shown here.

    For the Windows MSIX case in my report, the decisive fix was setting the proxy environment variables before launching ChatGPT.exe. Starting the app from that PowerShell session passes those variables to the app process, and mobile remote-control pairing then worked:

    $env:HTTP_PROXY = "http://127.0.0.1:7892"
    $env:HTTPS_PROXY = "http://127.0.0.1:7892"
    $env:NO_PROXY = "localhost,127.0.0.1,::1"
    
    Start-Process "<full path to ChatGPT.exe in the installed WindowsApps package>"

    Replace the proxy URL with the local proxy address and port in use, and use the full ChatGPT.exe path for the installed package version. The screenshot’s path is version-specific. The key is that ChatGPT.exe must inherit the proxy environment variables.
13. cryingman520 commented on Oct 18, 2026

    

    cryingman520

    on Oct 18, 2026 – with ChatGPT Codex Connector

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    Working solution in my Windows + FlClash setup (2026-10-18)

    I hit the same problem on the Windows ChatGPT/Codex desktop app: Settings → Connections → Control this PC → Allow repeatedly displayed "Unable to enable remote control. Please try again" (Chinese: 无法启用远程控制。请重试) and did not generate a pairing QR code.

    Environment

    • Windows desktop app from the Microsoft Store/MSIX package OpenAI.Codex, package version 26.1013.4894.0.
    • FlClash running locally, with a system proxy enabled at 127.0.0.1:7890.
    • The local proxy port was listening, but Windows WinHTTP was configured for direct access; I did not detect an active TUN adapter.

    What worked here

    I completely exited the running ChatGPT desktop processes, then launched the installed ChatGPT.exe from a PowerShell session with explicit proxy environment variables:

    $env:HTTP_PROXY  = "http://127.0.0.1:7890"
    $env:HTTPS_PROXY = "http://127.0.0.1:7890"
    $env:ALL_PROXY   = "http://127.0.0.1:7890"
    $env:NO_PROXY    = "localhost,127.0.0.1,::1"
    
    $pkg = Get-AppxPackage -Name 'OpenAI.Codex'
    Start-Process -FilePath (Join-Path $pkg.InstallLocation 'app\ChatGPT.exe')

    Replace 7890 with your actual local HTTP/mixed proxy port. Close any old desktop instances first; otherwise an existing process may be reused without inheriting the variables. This changes only the launching PowerShell session's environment, not permanent Windows settings.

    Result: After relaunching this way, I was able to enable Remote Control and generate a pairing QR code. I subsequently paired an Android phone successfully, after resolving a separate Android web-auth issue by updating ChatGPT and Chrome and switching the phone's default browser from Edge to Chrome.

    This confirms a working path in my environment, not a universal fix or proof of the underlying Windows failure mechanism. I did not need to reinstall the desktop application, reset app data, or enable TUN mode.

    👍React with 👍1Reacted by sendev10ix