codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Codex Desktop Chrome plugin times out during extension handshake despite extension and native host checks passing

Summary

The Codex Desktop bundled Chrome plugin cannot communicate with the Codex Chrome Extension. The local diagnostics all pass, but the first lightweight extension-backed call times out repeatedly.

Environment

• Codex Desktop: 26.506.21252
• macOS: 15.7.5, build 24G624
• Architecture: arm64
• Chrome plugin: openai-bundled/chrome 0.1.7
• Google Chrome: 148.0.7778.97
• Codex Chrome Extension ID: hehggadaopoacecdllhhajmbjkdcmajg
• Codex Chrome Extension version: 1.1.4_0

What I tried

From Codex Desktop, using the Chrome plugin runtime:

• Bootstrapped scripts/browser-client.mjs
• Called agent.browsers.get("extension")
• Tried browser.user.openTabs() as a lightweight health check
• Retried once after the first timeout

Both attempts timed out and reset the Node kernel:

js execution timed out; kernel reset, rerun your request

Diagnostics

The plugin-provided diagnostics report that Chrome, the extension, and the native messaging manifest are all OK.

Chrome is running:

{
  "platform": "darwin",
  "running": true
}

Extension check:

{
  "installed": true,
  "registered": true,
  "enabled": true,
  "disabled": false,
  "versions": ["1.1.4_0"],
  "exitCode": 0
}

Native host manifest check:

{
  "exists": true,
  "nameMatches": true,
  "hasExpectedOrigin": true,
  "registryMatchesManifestPath": true,
  "correct": true,
  "problem": null
}

Installed browser check:

{
  "installed_browsers": [
    {
      "name": "Google Chrome",
      "path": "/Applications/Google Chrome.app",
      "version": "148.0.7778.97"
    }
  ]
}

Expected behavior

browser.user.openTabs() should return the list of open Chrome tabs.

Actual behavior

The extension-backed Chrome plugin handshake hangs until timeout, even though Chrome is running, the Codex Chrome Extension is installed/enabled, and the native messaging manifest is correct.

Notes

This has been reproduced multiple times. The failure appears to be in the Codex Desktop <-> Codex Chrome Extension communication path, not in Chrome installation, extension installation, or native host manifest setup.