Staying Current with Codex

Codex evolves rapidly with frequent updates across the CLI, desktop app, IDE extension, and cloud platform. Understanding how to manage versions and stay current is crucial for maximizing your productivity.

Codex’s Update Philosophy

Rapid Iteration

Multiple releases per week during active development, with separate cadences for CLI, app, and IDE extension

Multiple Surfaces

Codex ships as a CLI (@openai/codex), a desktop app, an IDE extension, and a cloud platform — each updated independently

Backward Compatibility

Careful attention to config and API compatibility across versions

Open Source CLI

The CLI is open-source at github.com/openai/codex, with transparent changelogs per release

Updating the CLI

# Install or update to latest
npm install -g @openai/codex@latest

# Check current version
codex --version

# Install a specific version
npm install -g @openai/codex@0.98.0

Updating the Desktop App

The Codex desktop app updates automatically. You can also launch it from the CLI:

# Open the desktop app (macOS)
codex app <path>

Version Numbering

CLI: Semantic versioning (e.g., 0.98.0). Check releases at github.com/openai/codex/releases
App: Date-based versioning (e.g., v260205 = February 5, 2026)
IDE Extension: Follows VS Code marketplace versioning

What’s Next?

Review Changelog

Explore the detailed version history to see how Codex has evolved

Official Docs

Visit developers.openai.com/codex for the latest documentation