Appshots let you send the frontmost app window to a Codex thread. Use them when you’re actively working in another app on your computer and want to provide Codex with your current context so it can help you with the task.
Appshots are available in the Codex app on macOS. Press both Command keys, or your custom Appshots hotkey, to take one.
What appshots capture
An appshot captures the frontmost window only. It can include:
- An image of the visible window.
- Available text from that window, including visible text and text the app makes available outside the visible scroll area.
After you add an appshot to a thread, it behaves like a Codex attachment. Codex stores appshots locally in the session file, like files or images you attach manually.
When to use appshots
Use appshots when Codex needs context from a Mac app before it can act.
Examples:
- Share an API reference page and ask Codex to write a script that uses it.
- Share an email or calendar view and ask Codex to draft the next step.
- Share an image editor, design, or preview window and ask Codex to revise the related assets or code.
- Share an error, settings panel, or app state that’s easier to show than describe.
Take an appshot
- Open the Codex app on your Mac.
- Open the app and window you want to share.
- Press both Command keys, or the custom hotkey you configured in Codex settings.
- Allow macOS permissions if Codex asks.
- Ask Codex to perform a task with the appshot.
By default, Codex starts a new thread for the appshot. If you interacted with a Codex thread in the last 60 seconds, Codex adds the appshot to that recent thread instead. Taking consecutive appshots adds them to the same thread.
You can change the Appshots hotkey in Codex settings.
Permissions and safety
Codex may ask for permissions before it can take appshots:
- Screen & System Audio Recording lets Codex capture an image of the frontmost window.
- Accessibility lets Codex read available text from the frontmost window.
Taking an appshot shares the captured image and available text with Codex. Avoid taking appshots of sensitive content unless the task requires that content.
Review appshots the same way you would review sharing screenshots and documents with Codex.
Limits and troubleshooting
Appshots are a Codex app feature. Create them from the Codex app on macOS. If you resume a thread in the CLI that already contains an appshot, the attachment is part of the thread history, but the CLI can’t create a new appshot.
For some apps and websites, including Google Docs, Gmail, Google Sheets, and Google Slides, Codex may receive only the visible screenshot and may not receive the full document or off-screen text. If you have the matching plugin installed, Codex can use that plugin to access the relevant app content and help with your request.
If appshots don’t work:
- Open System Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Check Screen & System Audio Recording and Accessibility for Codex Computer Use.
- Restart Codex and try again.