[macOS][Desktop][Dot] “Take over” does not provide cloud-computer control; web works #49802

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

ChatGPT desktop app, Powered by Codex & OWL, version 26.928.20755 (released September 29, 2026).

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro.

What platform is your computer?

• macOS Golden Gate 27.0.1
• MacBook Pro 16-inch
• Apple M5 Max
• 128 GB memory

The device serial number is intentionally omitted.

What issue are you seeing?

In the ChatGPT macOS desktop app, I can open Dot's cloud computer and see the remote screen, but I cannot obtain functional control of it.

The remote-computer view loads normally and displays the Take over control. However, attempting to take over does not provide usable mouse or keyboard control inside the remote computer.

The corresponding Dot cloud-computer workflow is controllable normally from ChatGPT Web in a browser using the same account. This suggests that the cloud computer itself is reachable and that the failure is specific to the desktop app's interactive control surface.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Open the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS.
2. Open a Dot conversation that has an active cloud computer.
3. Open the remote-computer view.
4. Attempt to use Take over and interact with the remote computer by mouse or keyboard.
5. Observe that the remote screen is visible, but functional control is not available.
6. Open the corresponding Dot/cloud-computer workflow in ChatGPT Web using the same account.
7. Observe that mouse and keyboard control work normally on the web version.

What is the expected behavior?

The macOS desktop app should allow the user to take over and control Dot's cloud computer with mouse and keyboard, matching the behavior available in ChatGPT Web.

If interactive control is intentionally unsupported in the desktop app, the app should not show a nonfunctional Take over control and should instead display a clear explanation.

Additional information

• Observed on September 30, 2026.
• The live remote display loads; the problem is specifically interactive control.
• No explicit error message was shown in the reproduced desktop-app state.
• Screenshots of the desktop behavior and the About dialog are available. Private chat content and the hardware serial number are omitted from this public report.
• Related but distinct: Desktop / Dot: native thread communication is asymmetric between local and cloud-backed conversations #49788 concerns native thread communication between local and cloud-backed Dot conversations. This report concerns direct mouse/keyboard control of Dot's cloud computer from the macOS desktop app.