Codex Remote Control Not Working on Mac? Fix Every Error (2026)

Codex remote control on a Mac usually breaks at one of three error messages. Most of them come from OpenAI's servers or your network, so the fixes are short: restart the app, check your account and network, then try again.

Below is each error, what is known about it, and what to try. When a fix comes from users on GitHub and not from OpenAI, we say so.

First, the official checklist

OpenAI lists these requirements for controlling a Mac from the ChatGPT app on your phone:

• The ChatGPT desktop app is running on the Mac. Setup starts there. You can't set it up from the Codex CLI or the IDE extension.
• The Mac and the phone use the same ChatGPT account and workspace.
• Your account has Codex access in that workspace. On a work or team workspace, your admin may need to turn on Remote Control access.
• Both apps are up to date. If you have not used a pairing since June 8, 2026, pair again.
• The Mac is awake, online and signed in. Turn on Keep this Mac awake in Settings > Connections. With the lid closed, a MacBook also needs power and an external display.
• If you signed out, switch Remote Control back on after you sign in. Signing out turns it off.

For any error after you choose Add, OpenAI's advice is to restart the ChatGPT desktop app on the Mac and try again. Quit it fully with Cmd+Q first.

"Pairing code unavailable: Remote control failed to connect"

You open Settings > Connections > Control this Mac or PC, choose Add, and the QR code never shows up. This error appears instead.

Logs shared in GitHub issue #44326 show the app getting HTTP 503 errors from OpenAI's remote control server. The same reporter also saw "Please ensure only one instance of ChatGPT is running" and said that message was misleading. Reinstalling, signing out, restarting the Mac and clearing ~/.codex did not help.

What to try

• Quit with Cmd+Q, open the app again and retry.
• Wait a while and try again. A 503 comes from the server, so your Mac may be fine.
• Try another network. One user found pairing worked on an iPhone hotspot and failed on their home router. This is a user report, not an official fix.
• Turn off a VPN or proxy for a moment and retry.

At the time of writing, the issue is still open with no reply from OpenAI. Follow #44326 for updates.

"Unable to enable Remote Control. Please try again."

This one appears when you try to turn on Control this Mac. Setup stops before any QR code shows.

In GitHub issue #38095, the desktop log said ignoring invalid experimental feature enablement keys: apps_mcp_path_override. The reporter could not find that key in their own config files, so it may come from inside the app. Another user saw "Couldn't enable remote control. Try again." and suspects a signing problem in the app build. OpenAI has not confirmed either cause.

A related issue, #36946, shows the same pattern, sometimes with "Please ensure only one instance of ChatGPT is running". Several people there use a proxy.

What to try

• Quit with Cmd+Q, install the latest app version, and try again.
• Check that only one copy of the app is running.
• Community workaround for proxy users: one user in #36946 added the lines below to ~/.codex/config.toml and reopened Codex. OpenAI has not confirmed this fix.

One user in the same thread said it later started working with no changes. Retrying after an app update is worth a try.

"Couldn't update remote control availability"

Here the Control this Mac or PC option turns grey and a red error shows. You can't add the Mac.

GitHub issue #48455 reports it on macOS Tahoe 26.6.2. The reporter closed the issue the same day without saying what fixed it. Users in #36946 and #44326 saw similar messages, such as "Unable to update remote control status".

What to try

• Restart the app. Then sign out, sign back in, and switch Remote Control on again.
• Check you are in the right workspace. On a work account, ask your admin if Remote Control access is on.
• Update the app and pair again.

If you report it to OpenAI, the issue notes where the logs are: ~/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex sorted by date, and session files in ~/.codex/sessions.

Stuck on "Waiting for desktop" on your phone?

That is a different error on the phone side. See our guide to Codex stuck on Waiting for desktop. If the phone pairs but approvals never show up, read how to fix Codex awaiting approval.

Another way to use Codex from your iPhone

If pairing keeps failing, you can skip it. Macky is a separate app that connects your iPhone to your Mac's own terminal. It does not fix the ChatGPT app. It works around it.

• Codex mode: run the Codex CLI you already have on your Mac.
• Key bar: approve with y and Enter. Press Ctrl+C to stop a task.
• No OpenAI pairing: the connection is end-to-end encrypted and goes straight between your devices.
• Full screen: switch to your Mac's desktop when you need it.
• Pro: use your MacBook with the lid closed and keep sessions connected in the background.

Macky is free with 5 minute sessions. Pro is a one-time $29. Get it on the App Store.

Full setup steps are in our Codex mobile guide.