codex - 💡(How to fix) Fix Codex mobile does not show SSH remote projects from connected Mac host [5 comments, 4 participants]

Summary

Codex mobile can connect to a macOS Codex App host, and that macOS host can connect to an SSH remote project successfully. However, SSH remote projects that are visible and usable in the Mac Codex App do not appear in the ChatGPT mobile Codex project selector for the same connected Mac host.

This seems inconsistent with the Remote connections docs, which describe the remote development workflow as: the Codex App host connects to the SSH/devbox environment first, while the phone still connects to the Codex App host.

Docs reference: https://developers.openai.com/codex/remote-connections

Environment

• Codex App for macOS: 26.513.31313
• Codex App bundled CLI: codex-cli 0.131.0-alpha.9
• Local platform: Darwin 24.2.0 arm64
• Remote SSH host: Linux arm64
• Remote Codex CLI: codex-cli 0.130.0
• ChatGPT mobile app: iOS, latest App Store build available at time of testing
• Same ChatGPT account and same workspace are used on both Mac and iPhone

What Works

1. iPhone can see and connect to the Mac Codex App host.
2. Mac Codex App can see the SSH remote project in the sidebar.
3. Mac Codex App can connect to the SSH host.
4. Remote host has Codex installed and available in the remote login shell.
5. A Codex SSH app-server/proxy process is running from the Mac host to the SSH host.

Remote verification:

ssh <ssh-alias> 'pwd; hostname; whoami; command -v codex; codex --version'
/home/<remote-user>
<remote-hostname>
<remote-user>
/usr/local/bin/codex
codex-cli 0.130.0

Local Codex global state contains the remote project:

{
  "remote-projects": [
    {
      "id": "<project-id>",
      "hostId": "remote-ssh-discovered:<ssh-alias>",
      "remotePath": "/workspace",
      "label": "oci"
    }
  ],
  "project-order": [
    "<local-project-path>",
    "<project-id>"
  ]
}

Mobile remote-control enrollment exists for the Mac host:

remote_control_enrollments count: 1
server_name: <mac-hostname>.local
environment_id: env_e_<redacted>

Actual Behavior

On iPhone:

1. Open ChatGPT mobile app.
2. Open Codex.
3. Select the connected Mac Codex App host.
4. Open the project selector.

Only the local Mac project appears. The SSH remote project does not appear, even though it appears in the Mac Codex App sidebar and local Codex state.

Rescanning the Codex mobile QR code does not fix the issue. After scanning, ChatGPT mobile goes directly to the Connections page and treats the Mac host as already connected rather than refreshing the host project list.

Killing/reopening the iOS ChatGPT app does not fix the issue.

Deleting and reinstalling the iOS ChatGPT app also does not fix the issue. After reinstalling, the phone can still connect to the Mac Codex App host, but the SSH remote project still does not appear in the project selector.

Expected Behavior

After a Mac Codex App host adds an SSH remote project and the phone is connected to that Mac host, the SSH remote project should appear in the mobile Codex project selector for that host.

The user should not need to delete/reinstall the ChatGPT mobile app or redo mobile setup every time a new SSH remote project is added to the Mac host.

Steps to Reproduce

1. On macOS, sign in to Codex App.
2. Set up Codex mobile and connect an iPhone running ChatGPT mobile.
3. Confirm the Mac host appears in Codex mobile.
4. On macOS, add an SSH host in ~/.ssh/config.
5. Confirm ssh <ssh-alias> works from the Mac.
6. Install/authenticate Codex on the SSH host and confirm codex --version works in the remote login shell.
7. In Mac Codex App, add/enable the SSH host under Settings > Connections.
8. Add a remote project folder such as /workspace.
9. Confirm the project appears in the Mac Codex App sidebar.
10. On iPhone, select the same Mac host and open the project selector.

Observed: the SSH remote project does not appear.

Troubleshooting Already Attempted

• Confirmed same ChatGPT account and workspace on Mac and phone.
• Confirmed Mac host is online and awake.
• Confirmed remote-control/mobile enrollment exists for the Mac host.
• Confirmed remote SSH works from the Mac.
• Confirmed remote Codex CLI exists and works.
• Confirmed a Codex SSH app-server/proxy process is running for the remote host.
• Reset local mobile remote-control enrollment on the Mac and rescanned the QR code.
• Killed and reopened the iOS ChatGPT app.
• Deleted and reinstalled the iOS ChatGPT app.

Additional Observation

Direct SSH from the iPhone to the same remote host can be made to work as a workaround. That suggests the remote host itself and remote Codex runtime are valid. The missing behavior appears specific to the mobile-to-Mac-host path not surfacing the Mac host's remote-ssh-discovered:* projects in the mobile project selector.

Impact

The documented mobile-to-Mac-to-SSH workflow is not usable from mobile when SSH remote projects added on the Mac do not sync to the mobile project selector.