Control other devices doesn't work on mac-mac

[tiny wolf]

I’m trying to use Codex Desktop → Settings → Connections → Control other devices to control my Mac mini M4 from my Mac mini M2.

The M4 has Allow other devices to connect enabled, and my iPhone can successfully see and control the M4 from the ChatGPT app. However, on the M2, the M4 appears as “Connected” but the status dot stays gray instead of green, and refreshing shows:

Failed to update connection

The M2 also does not show the M4’s remote threads or any clear way to switch into the M4 host environment. New threads on the M2 still run locally.

Both Macs use the same ChatGPT account and workspace, and the M4 is awake, online, and running Codex App.

Is this a known Mac-to-Mac remote control issue? How can I make the M2 access and continue the Codex threads running on the M4?

[inner elk]

Hi @tiny wolf. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave:

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The knowledge sources describe how Codex remote connections work conceptually, but they do not document a specific Mac-to-Mac “Control other devices” failure like the gray status dot and “Failed to update connection” you’re seeing. So I can’t confirm this as a known bug from the docs, only outline what’s officially supported and the recommended checks.

From the docs:

• Mac-to-Mac is supported: “You can also connect one Codex App host to another… In Codex on the laptop, use Settings > Connections > Control other devices to add the other host. A device can allow remote access and control another device at the same time.” [Pick up work]
• The host Mac must:
  • Be awake/online
  • Be running the Codex App
  • Have Allow other devices to connect enabled
  • Be signed into the same ChatGPT account and workspace as the controller device [Remote connections; Troubleshooting]

The troubleshooting guidance for remote connections is limited to:

• Verify same account/workspace on both devices
• Ensure the host is awake, online, and Codex is running
• Confirm Allow other devices to connect is enabled
• For workspace accounts, have an admin confirm Remote Control is enabled
• If sessions disconnect, check for sleep/network/Codex closing [Troubleshooting; Enterprise notes]

There’s no documented UI description of how Mac-to-Mac remote threads should appear beyond “continue that thread from there,” and no mention of a gray vs green status dot or the “Failed to update connection” error. [Pick up work]

Given that:

1. You’ve already met the documented requirements (same account/workspace, host awake/online, Codex running, “Allow other devices to connect” on, mobile can connect to the M4).
2. The docs don’t provide any additional Mac-to-Mac–specific steps or error handling.

The knowledge sources don’t contain enough information to give you a concrete fix for this specific Mac–Mac failure. Based on the official guidance, the only documented next step when all prerequisites are satisfied and remote control still fails is to escalate to workspace/admin or Support so they can inspect account/workspace and connection state directly. [Troubleshooting; Enterprise notes]

So, within what’s documented:

• Double-check on both Macs:
  • Same ChatGPT account and workspace are selected.
  • On the M4: Allow other devices to connect is enabled.
  • If you’re on an Enterprise/Edu workspace, ask an admin to confirm Remote Control is enabled at the workspace level. [Remote connections; Enterprise notes]
• If all of that is already correct, the behavior you describe is not covered in the docs, and you’ll need to contact ChatGPT/Codex Support with details (both Mac models, OS versions, Codex app versions, and screenshots of the gray-dot / “Failed to update connection” state) so they can investigate.

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[tiny wolf]

I followed all the instuctions but still not workable.