[FEATURE] Keyboard shortcut to switch thinking effort level while composing prompt

What feature would you like to see?

A keyboard shortcut to switch between Codex 5.2 models (Low, Medium, High, Xhigh) while composing a prompt in the input area.

Use case: I often start writing a prompt and then realize mid-composition that I want to use a smarter model for a complex task, or a faster/cheaper model for a simple one. Currently, there's no way to switch models without abandoning the prompt or using the menu.

Suggested implementation:

A keybinding like Ctrl+M to cycle through available models

This would improve the workflow for users who frequently switch between models based on task complexity.

Additional information

Codex v0.89.0

Couldn't agree more. Claude code, Opencode pretty much all of them have this.

This would be great because sometimes I will want to swap between multiple models within a session.
Or smarter model to plan, medium model to execute, faster model to QA.

Even better would be setting up rules on which model to use and when so I don't have to swap by hand

This would also be helpful in the macOS app

I would like a separate keymap for changing thinking levels. On open code this is ctrl+t. they also have ctrl+x m for opening the model selection

This feels like the narrower keyboard-control seam under #14356.

That issue broadens the ask in three ways that seem worth keeping tied together:

dedicated reasoning-depth controls, not just model switching
a non-semantic depth meter with shapes like [◉···] [◉◉··] [◉◉◉·] [◉◉◉◉]
next-turn-safe switching semantics, so changing model/depth during an in-flight turn stages the new setting for the next prompt instead of mutating the running one

In practice I think the control surface wants to feel like a fast cockpit lever, not something that requires walking back through /models constantly.

I would like to toggle between spark and whichever model I was already running

alt + p -> Claude Code could switch.

If you add the following to ~/.codex/config.toml it will

map 'alt-i' to increasing reasoning effort (from "low" to "medium", "high", "x-high")
map 'alt-i' to increasing reasoning effort (from "x-high", to "high", "medium", "low")
map 'alt-f' to turning fast mode on+off
Remove the conflicting keybindings that prevent you from mapping "alt-d" and "alt-f"

[tui.keymap]
chat.decrease_reasoning_effort = "alt-d"
chat.increase_reasoning_effort = "alt-i"
global.toggle_fast_mode = "alt-f"
editor.delete_forward_word = ["alt-delete", "ctrl-delete", "ctrl-shift-delete"]
editor.move_word_right = ["alt-right", "ctrl-right"]

@NerdyPunkDad

Thanks for the idea @NerdyPunkDad - custom keybindings are a great workaround in the interim.

There's a typo in your comment in the 2nd bullet point - I think you meant to write alt-d.

editor.delete_forward_word = ["alt-delete", "ctrl-delete", "ctrl-shift-delete"]
editor.move_word_right = ["alt-right", "ctrl-right"]

I'm not sure I understand why we need this. Can you explain? Why do they conflict with alt-i and alt-d and alt-f?

edit: I figured it out:

[tui.keymap]
  chat.decrease_reasoning_effort = "alt-d"
  chat.increase_reasoning_effort = "alt-i"
  global.toggle_fast_mode = "alt-f"
  # need to set this because `alt-d` is by default set to `delete_forward_word`
  editor.delete_forward_word = ["alt-delete", "ctrl-delete", "ctrl-shift-delete"]
  # need to set because `alt-f` is by default set to `move_word_right`
  editor.move_word_right = [
    "alt-right",
    "ctrl-right",
  ]

@NerdyPunkDad

I've modified @NerdyPunkDad's keymaps to use alt-minus and alt-= (note: on Macs at least, = is on the same key as +, but + requires a shift; I decided to stick with = for simplicity), which I find a little more intuitive and easier to remember. And they also solve the issue of having to override editor.delete_forward_word because alt-minus and alt-= do not bind to anything by default.

[tui.keymap]
  chat.decrease_reasoning_effort = "alt-minus"
  chat.increase_reasoning_effort = ["alt-="]
  global.toggle_fast_mode = "alt-f"

  # need to set because `alt-f` is by default set to `move_word_right`
  editor.move_word_right = [
    "alt-right",
    "ctrl-right",
  ]

shift + up and shift + down are the default keymaps to increase and decrease reasoning effort respectively. also you can do /keymap to check the existing keymaps. #9807 and #10155 these issues can be closed now.

@frhanjav

@frhanjav that's great news. In which Codex CLI version did they add keybindings for increasing/decreasing effort level?

Yeah, I found it the keyboard shortcuts you provide works Paul Berg ***@***.***>于2026年6月14日周日23:45写道：

…

*PaulRBerg* left a comment (openai/codex#9807) <#9807 (comment)> @frhanjav <https://github.com/frhanjav> that's great news. In which Codex CLI version did they add keybindings for increasing/decreasing effort level? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#9807?email_source=notifications&email_token=AAJGQRSLWTPAC33TAWYZJYL473B7ZA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTINZQGIZDIMZVGI42M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLDGN5XXIZLSL5RWY2LDNM#issuecomment-4702243529>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAJGQRV7ARQLKFOFCGYRDWD473B7ZAVCNFSNUABFKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHM4TMNJUGE2TMNBZHNEXG43VMU5TGOBVGA2TGMJVGYY2C5QC> . Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/AAJGQRTHA7TJPW6HSI77N53473B7ZA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTINZQGIZDIMZVGI42M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJKTGN5XXIZLSL5UW64Y> and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/AAJGQRSVQDQ372OONOCXKBL473B7ZA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTINZQGIZDIMZVGI42M4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLTGN5XXIZLSL5QW4ZDSN5UWI>. Download it today! You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

Yeah, I can confirm that SHIFT+↑ and SHIFT+↓ work now.

Closing this issue.

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[FEATURE] Keyboard shortcut to switch thinking effort level while composing prompt #9807

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[FEATURE] Keyboard shortcut to switch thinking effort level while composing prompt #9807

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What feature would you like to see?

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vadimcomanescu commented on Jan 28, 2026

venkatd commented on Feb 15, 2026

PaulRBerg commented on Feb 18, 2026

jorgejhms commented on Feb 26, 2026

oxysoft commented on Mar 11, 2026

RickVM commented on Mar 19, 2026

jkryanchou commented on May 16, 2026

NerdyPunkDad commented on May 22, 2026

PaulRBerg commented on May 22, 2026

PaulRBerg commented on May 23, 2026

frhanjav commented on Jun 14, 2026

PaulRBerg commented on Jun 14, 2026

jkryanchou commented on Jun 14, 2026

PaulRBerg commented on Jun 18, 2026

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