Introduction

Many message threads contain hidden to-dos: book dinner, schedule a follow-up, research options, submit a receipt, or pull together information for a reply. Computer Use can help by reading the thread, identifying the task, and completing the work across the apps involved.

This is a good fit when the message contains a concrete request and you want Codex to handle the follow-through, not just summarize the thread.

How to use

1. Install the Computer Use plugin.
2. Ask Codex to review a specific message thread or sender.
3. Tell it what action to take and whether it should pause before completing anything.
4. Specify whether it should draft a reply in the original thread.

For example:

• @Computer Look at my messages from [person]. Check my availability, find 2 dinner options in Hayes Valley, and draft a reply in the same thread. Check in with me before completing booking.

Practical tips

Ask for a pause before irreversible actions

If the task might send money, submit an order, confirm a booking, or finalize a schedule, tell Codex to stop and ask before taking that last step.

Make sure the supporting apps are ready

This works best when the related apps are already signed in and available. If the task depends on Maps, Calendar, Notes, a reservation site, or a browser session, prepare those ahead of time.

Expect the thread to be marked as read

When Codex opens the thread in Messages, it will behave like a normal user viewing the conversation. Treat that as a read.

Good follow-ups

This same pattern can work for other inbox-style surfaces too, such as Slack or email, when the work starts from a message and finishes somewhere else. If the workflow becomes common, add a reusable preference or instruction in customization so Codex handles those requests the same way every time.

Suggested prompt

Finish One Task From a Message Thread