OpenAI adds computer history feature to Codex and ChatGPT for paid subscribers

OpenAI began rolling out a new capability called "Computer History" in Codex and ChatGPT. It lets the models understand the context of a user's recent work. The feature is currently limited to the desktop ChatGPT app for Mac and is available only to Pro, Business and Enterprise subscribers. Activation requires explicit opt-in; users must agree to let the system access their work history.

The rollout is global, but users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland will receive access only in the coming weeks. In Business and Enterprise accounts, an admin must enable the option at the team level before employees can use it. No Windows, Linux or mobile versions are mentioned, and the feature is not exposed through the API.

According to the announcement, the new capability allows the model to "pick up where you left off", detect patterns in a user's workflow, and suggest skills or scheduled tasks for repetitive work. In effect, the system builds a continuous contextual profile instead of starting each conversation from scratch. Technical details such as how much history is stored, how it is processed, and what is sent to the model with each request were not disclosed.

The announcement did not include benchmarks, comparisons to prior versions, or data on response-time or cost impact. It also does not clarify behavior when the history becomes very long or whether a dedicated context-window limit applies. Users accustomed to managing context manually via files, custom instructions or copy-paste may find the change convenient, but it remains unclear how much actual work it saves.