[macOS][Codex Desktop] Browser preview cards cannot foreground OAuth authorization
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Description
What version of the Codex App are you using?
26.810.52044
What platform is your computer?
macOS, Codex desktop app
What issue are you seeing?
When Browser Use opens an OAuth page (Nebius in this case), the task transcript shows overlapping browser preview cards. The cards look like interactive previews, but single-click and double-click do nothing. There is no visible Open browser, Bring to front, Take over, or handoff affordance.
This leaves the user unable to foreground the browser to complete authorization even though the authorization page is visibly previewed.
Steps to reproduce
- In Codex Desktop, start a task that invokes the built-in Browser.
- Navigate to a third-party OAuth or login page, such as Nebius authorization.
- Let the browser remain in the background and observe the browser preview cards in the task transcript.
- Single-click and double-click the preview cards.
- Observe that nothing opens and no browser surface becomes interactive.
Actual behavior
Preview cards appear but do not respond to click or double-click and provide no discoverable route to the actual built-in browser.
Expected behavior
At least one of the following:
- Clicking a preview foregrounds or reopens the corresponding built-in browser tab.
- The preview has an explicit Open or Take over button.
- OAuth and login flows automatically show a durable handoff control.
- If the cards are intentionally non-interactive, they are styled as status-only thumbnails and link to the documented browser shortcut.
The browser toolbar or Cmd+Shift+B route should preserve or reopen the exact tab represented by the preview.
Impact
Authentication-dependent workflows appear ready for user input but are effectively blocked. Users may think Codex or OAuth is frozen, repeat logins, or abandon the task.
Privacy
No OAuth URL, state, code, credentials, cookies, or account identifiers are included. The observed preview contained only the generic Nebius login page and Codex task UI.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Reproduce the OAuth flow in Codex Desktop on macOS and inspect the overlapping browser preview cards, then try the browser toolbar and Cmd+Shift+B route mentioned in the report. Done means the represented tab can be foregrounded or reopened, or the preview provides an explicit handoff control without leaving authentication blocked.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- macos
- Domain
- authentication, desktop
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 50/100