> Troubleshoot Codex remote control setup, workspace restrictions, host availability, SSH projects, and CLI remote modes, then publish Codex output with Revdoku.

# Fix Codex remote control not working

Codex remote control is useful when you want to start work on your computer and keep steering it from another device. The important detail is that the phone is not replacing your development machine. It is controlling a connected Codex host.

That means most failures are not mysterious. They usually come from one of five places:

- The host machine is asleep, offline, signed out, or running an older Codex app.
- The phone and host are not using the same ChatGPT account and workspace.
- The workspace admin has disabled remote control.
- The setup was started from the wrong surface, such as the CLI instead of the Codex app.
- The work is actually on an SSH host, and the Codex app has not been connected to that host yet.

This tutorial walks through the checks in the order that usually saves the most time.

## Quick fix checklist

Start here:

1. Update the ChatGPT mobile app.
2. Update the Codex app on the Mac or Windows host.
3. Open Codex on the host machine and keep the machine awake.
4. Confirm the host and phone use the same ChatGPT account and workspace.
5. In Codex on the host, start mobile setup from the sidebar.
6. Scan the QR code with the phone and finish setup in ChatGPT.
7. Open Codex host settings and check **Settings > Connections**.
8. If you see an admin or workspace restriction, ask the workspace admin to allow device remote control.

If the project is on a remote server, first connect the Codex app to that SSH host. The phone connects to the Codex app host; Codex then works against the remote project from there.

## 1. Confirm what "remote control" means

There are several things people mean when they search for Codex remote control:

- ChatGPT mobile controlling a Codex app host.
- A Codex app on one device controlling another connected Codex app host.
- The Codex CLI connecting to a remote app-server endpoint.
- The Codex app opening projects on an SSH host.
- Codex cloud running a task in a hosted environment.

These are related, but they are not the same setup.

For phone access, start with the Codex app on the Mac or Windows computer that already has the project, tools, credentials, plugins, and browser setup you want Codex to use.

## 2. Make sure the host can be reached

Remote control depends on the connected host. If the host is unavailable, the phone cannot keep working.

Check the host:

- The computer is awake.
- Codex is installed and open.
- The host is signed in.
- The host is online.
- The host is signed in to the same account and workspace as the phone.
- The project you want to work on is available on that host.

For a laptop, keep it plugged in. On a Mac laptop, remote access is safest with the lid open and power connected. On Windows, keep the session available if the task needs desktop or browser control.

## 3. Start setup from the Codex app

Mobile setup starts from the Codex app. Do not start with the CLI if the goal is phone remote control through ChatGPT mobile.

On the host:

1. Open Codex.
2. Select **Set up Codex mobile** in the sidebar.
3. Use the QR code shown by Codex.
4. Scan the code with the phone.
5. Finish setup inside ChatGPT mobile.
6. Confirm the same account and workspace.
7. Complete any required MFA, SSO, or passkey prompts.

After setup succeeds, the host should appear in Codex on the phone.

## 4. Check workspace and admin restrictions

If you use Codex inside a ChatGPT workspace, your admin may control remote access.

This is the likely cause when the setup flow says remote control is disabled, unavailable, or blocked by workspace policy.

Ask the admin to check:

- Whether Codex access is enabled for the workspace.
- Whether device remote control is allowed.
- Whether the user has the right workspace role.
- Whether MFA, SSO, or passkey requirements are complete.
- Whether local Codex surfaces and cloud Codex surfaces have separate policies.

The user cannot override a managed workspace policy from their own device. If the policy disables remote control, the fix is an admin change or a different workflow.

## 5. Check connected devices

In the Codex app on the host, open **Settings > Connections**.

Review:

- Connected devices.
- Whether remote access is enabled for this host.
- Whether the computer should be kept awake.
- Whether Computer Use should be available.
- Whether the Chrome extension is installed if browser work needs your Chrome profile.

If the device list looks stale, remove the failed connection and run setup again.

## 6. If the project is on SSH, set that up separately

Phone remote control does not automatically make a remote server available to Codex.

If the project lives on a server:

1. Add the host to `~/.ssh/config` on the machine running the Codex app.
2. Confirm normal SSH works from that machine.
3. Install and authenticate Codex on the remote host.
4. In the Codex app, add the SSH host under **Settings > Connections**.
5. Choose the remote project folder.

The phone still controls the Codex app host. The Codex app host then runs the project thread against the SSH environment.

## 7. If you are using the CLI, check the exact remote mode

The Codex CLI also has remote app-server workflows. This is different from the phone setup flow.

If you are connecting a terminal UI to a remote app server:

- Start the app server on the host.
- Use a local-only WebSocket for localhost or SSH forwarding.
- Use authentication and TLS for non-local clients.
- Store the remote auth token securely.
- Avoid exposing unauthenticated listeners to the public internet.

If you only want phone control, use the Codex app mobile setup instead.

## 8. Safe fallback workflows

If remote control still does not work, use one of these fallbacks:

- Use the Codex app directly on the host.
- Use Codex CLI locally in the project.
- Use SSH from the phone into a trusted development machine, then run Codex there.
- Use Codex cloud for a task that can run in a hosted environment.
- Ask the admin to enable remote control or confirm that it is intentionally disabled.

The right fallback depends on where the files, credentials, and tools live.

## Publish the output with Revdoku

After remote Codex is working, the next question is usually how to share what Codex made.

Codex might produce a folder like this:

```text
codex-output/
index.html
Readme.md
data/findings.csv
docs/report.pdf
screenshots/
assets/
```

You can publish that folder with Revdoku:

1. Upload the folder to a Revdoku bucket.
2. Publish the bucket as a website.
3. Choose public, password, or password plus email access.
4. Share the live URL.
5. Review analytics after people open it.

![Generated site files ready for publishing in Revdoku](/assets/en/blog/fix-codex-remote-control-not-working/generated-site-files-in-bucket.webp)

![Revdoku access settings for a protected review link](/assets/en/blog/fix-codex-remote-control-not-working/access-settings-password.webp)

## Revdoku workflow screenshots

![Revdoku can protect a Codex review link with a password gate](/assets/en/blog/fix-codex-remote-control-not-working/chrome-revdoku-password-gate-access-controls.png)

![Revdoku analytics show whether a shared Codex output was opened](/assets/en/blog/fix-codex-remote-control-not-working/chrome-revdoku-analytics-dashboard-full.png)

## Sources checked

- OpenAI Codex manual: https://developers.openai.com/codex/remote-connections
- OpenAI Codex CLI features: https://developers.openai.com/codex/cli/features
- OpenAI Codex app features: https://developers.openai.com/codex/app/features

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