Account-authenticated CLI runs consume allowance but are invisible in Codex Desktop

What version of Codex CLI is running?

0.148.0-alpha.15

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-sol (high reasoning effort)

What platform is your computer?

Windows

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

Windows Task Scheduler (unattended codex exec --json)

Codex doctor report

Not collected for this report.

What issue are you seeing?

An account-authenticated Codex CLI run consumes the same ChatGPT/Codex account allowance, but is not visible or controllable in Codex Desktop.

Environment:

• Codex Desktop (Windows): 26.814.5167.0
• Codex CLI: 0.148.0-alpha.15
• Authentication: same ChatGPT/Codex account in CLI and Desktop
• Invocation: unattended codex exec --json through Windows Task Scheduler
• Model: gpt-5.6-sol with high reasoning effort

Observed behavior:
JSONL shows normal activity (including thread.started, turn.started, item.started, and item.completed) and the account allowance is consumed. However, Desktop shows neither a corresponding running chat/thread in the sidebar nor an active execution under Scheduled. The UI appears idle, and the user cannot see, attribute, monitor, or cancel the external CLI run from Desktop.

Impact:
This is a material usage-control and governance gap. A user can reasonably believe that no Codex work is running while an unattended account-authenticated job continues consuming allowance.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Authenticate Codex CLI with the same ChatGPT/Codex account used by Codex Desktop.
2. Run codex exec --json unattended through Windows Task Scheduler, using gpt-5.6-sol with high reasoning effort.
3. Confirm the JSONL lifecycle events and ongoing allowance consumption.
4. Open Codex Desktop while the job runs.

Result: no corresponding running thread or Scheduled activity appears in Desktop.

What is the expected behavior?

Every allowance-consuming Codex run authenticated to the account, including externally launched CLI and Task Scheduler jobs, should be discoverable and controllable from Desktop.

Requested improvements:

• A visible “External CLI Activity” section or equivalent sidebar thread.
• Per-run source, model, reasoning effort, start time, safe task label/working-context indicator, live state, and usage attribution.
• Account-wide stop/cancel for active account-backed runs, including externally launched CLI jobs.
• A warning and explicit confirmation before launching an unattended worker that will not be visible in Desktop when human monitoring or usage limits were requested.
• An official CLI/API command to list and cancel active account-backed sessions.

Additional information

No thread ID is included in this public report. The issue affects account-backed CLI activity and its absence from the Desktop monitoring surface.

The report names no source files or tests. Begin with the codex exec --json lifecycle and the Desktop Scheduled view described here, then trace how externally launched runs are represented. Done means account-authenticated Task Scheduler runs are discoverable, attributable, and controllable from Desktop, with coverage for the reported Windows scenario.