codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Codex desktop: background agent status icons do not refresh until opening the agent

Summary

In the Codex desktop app, the status icon for a background agent / sub-agent often does not refresh automatically when the agent is created or receives/starts a new task. The icon only updates after I click into that background agent's explorer/detail page.

This makes the parent branch view unreliable for monitoring whether background agents are currently working.

Environment

• App: Codex desktop app for macOS
• Codex version: 26.506.21252 (2575)
• macOS: Tahoe 26.4.1
• Device: Apple Silicon MacBook Pro
• Plan: ChatGPT Pro

Steps to reproduce

1. Open a branch in the Codex desktop app that has multiple background agents listed under Branch details → Background agents.
2. Create a new background agent, or let an existing background agent receive/start a new task.
3. Stay on the parent branch details panel and do not open that agent.
4. Observe the background agent status icon in the list.
5. Click the affected background agent row to open its explorer/detail page.
6. Return to / observe the branch details agent list again.

Actual behavior

The background agent status icon often remains stale in the branch details list. It does not proactively change into the spinning/running state when the agent starts working.

After I click into the background agent's page, the icon refreshes and then correctly shows the spinning/running indicator.

Expected behavior

The background agents list should subscribe to agent state changes and update the status icons in real time, without requiring the user to open each agent manually.

When a background agent starts working, its icon should immediately update to the running/spinner state in the parent branch details panel. When it stops or changes state, the list should also update automatically.

Impact

This is not a crash, but it is a workflow visibility bug. If I do not manually click into each background agent, I cannot reliably tell whether the agent is actively working or idle. This adds unnecessary checking steps and can make background agent status misleading.

Frequency

This happens often/repeatedly in normal use.

Screenshots

<img width="632" height="580" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1445d453-a47d-4705-ab1b-4d76d582e5c2" /> <img width="630" height="608" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3aad3a35-7457-4503-b2eb-e2d9c6c3f38e" /> <img width="386" height="256" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/04b4a42a-abb7-48b9-942a-0502f0a0626f" />