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codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Codex mobile cannot reconnect after desktop-side paired phone is deleted; iOS keeps stale offline Windows host

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Error Message

  • If setup cannot complete, the error should explain whether this is stale state, MFA/security setup, account mismatch, or network connectivity.
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What version of the Codex App are you using?

Unknown from the screenshots. The issue is reproducible on Codex Desktop for Windows with the current mobile remote-control / Connections UI.

Platform

  • Computer: Windows, Codex Desktop
  • Mobile: ChatGPT / Codex on iOS
  • Same ChatGPT account on desktop and mobile

What issue are you seeing?

Codex mobile remote control had previously paired successfully with this Windows desktop. The problem started after the phone/device entry was accidentally deleted from the Codex Desktop side.

After that, the desktop and phone appear to disagree about the pairing state:

  • Codex Desktop -> Connections -> Control this computer shows no devices under "Devices that can control this computer".
  • "Allow discovery and control this device" is enabled.
  • The desktop can generate a fresh QR code from the Add device flow.
  • ChatGPT iOS still shows the old Codex Desktop host record as disconnected/offline.
  • Scanning a fresh QR code does not create a clean new pairing.
  • The iOS flow appears to keep/reuse the stale old host record.
  • Attempting to finish setup fails with: Setup failed / Couldn't finish secure setup. Try again.
  • In Chinese UI this is shown as: 设置失败 / 无法完成安全设置。请重试。

Steps to reproduce

  1. Pair ChatGPT iOS / Codex mobile remote control with Codex Desktop on Windows.
  2. Confirm the mobile connection works.
  3. On Codex Desktop, remove/delete the paired phone/device from Connections.
  4. Open ChatGPT iOS again.
  5. Observe that the old Codex Desktop host is still present on iOS as disconnected/offline.
  6. On desktop, open Connections -> Control this computer -> Add and generate a fresh QR code.
  7. Scan the fresh QR code with iOS.
  8. Try to reconnect / complete secure setup.

Expected behavior

One of the following recovery paths should work:

  • The stale mobile/account-side host record should be invalidated when the desktop-side pairing is removed.
  • ChatGPT iOS should expose a visible "Forget/remove this computer" action for stale Codex Desktop hosts.
  • Scanning a fresh QR code should create a clean new pairing and replace any stale enrollment state.
  • If setup cannot complete, the error should explain whether this is stale state, MFA/security setup, account mismatch, or network connectivity.

Actual behavior

The desktop no longer lists the phone, but iOS still lists the old Windows desktop host. A fresh QR scan does not recover the pairing, and iOS fails with Setup failed / Couldn't finish secure setup. Try again.

Additional context

This looks related to stale mobile host / enrollment state reported in these issues:

  • #25559
  • #22714
  • #22802
  • #23112
  • #22715

Screenshots are available, but the raw screenshots include a QR code and host identifier, so I am not attaching them publicly without redaction.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

One of the following recovery paths should work:

  • The stale mobile/account-side host record should be invalidated when the desktop-side pairing is removed.
  • ChatGPT iOS should expose a visible "Forget/remove this computer" action for stale Codex Desktop hosts.
  • Scanning a fresh QR code should create a clean new pairing and replace any stale enrollment state.
  • If setup cannot complete, the error should explain whether this is stale state, MFA/security setup, account mismatch, or network connectivity.

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