[Bug] Android Remote stopped connecting to Windows host before desktop update; pairing still succeeds

What version of the Codex / ChatGPT Desktop app are you using?

Current version: 26.818.32112 (released Aug 21, 2026).

Important: the Remote failure started before I updated to this build. The desktop was still on the previous build when the problem began. Updating to 26.818.32112 did not fix it.

Subscription

ChatGPT Plus.

Platform

Host: Windows desktop running the new ChatGPT Desktop / Codex integration.

Remote client: ChatGPT for Android 16, Infinix X6876, latest version available from Google Play.

What issue are you seeing?

Codex Remote had been working normally, including for an active project/workflow. Around 2026-08-20 at approximately 23:50 EEST (UTC+3), the Android Remote connection stopped working and has remained unusable since.

On Android, the Windows host is visible but shows a red/offline indicator. Attempting to connect produces:

Failed to connect to ChatGPT Desktop
Make sure the ChatGPT desktop app is open, then try again.

The desktop app is open, online, signed in, and Remote connections are enabled.

Pairing itself succeeds. The Android device appears in the Windows ChatGPT Desktop Remote/Connections settings as an authorized device. Importantly, when I press Try again on Android, the desktop's Last connection timestamp for that Android device updates (for example, to 1 min). This suggests the phone reaches the desktop/backend enrollment layer, but the live Remote session still fails to establish.

Reproduction / troubleshooting already completed

1. Confirmed Allow connections / Remote Control is enabled on Windows.
2. Confirmed the Android phone is paired and listed on the desktop.
3. Revoked/re-paired the phone with a fresh QR code.
4. Fully exited and restarted ChatGPT Desktop.
5. Toggled Remote connections off and back on.
6. Opened Codex and the active project on the Windows host.
7. Updated the Android ChatGPT app to the latest Google Play version.
8. Switched the phone from Wi-Fi to cellular data; no change.
9. Confirmed ChatGPT Classic is not relevant: it is installed but not signed in; the active host is the new ChatGPT Desktop app.
10. Updated Windows ChatGPT Desktop to 26.818.32112; no change.

The failure therefore predates the current desktop build and survived the update.

Expected behavior

A paired Android device should connect to an awake, online Windows ChatGPT/Codex host and allow access to the active Codex project/thread.

Actual behavior

Pairing and device registration succeed, and the desktop records fresh connection attempts, but Android cannot establish a usable Remote session.

Impact

This has blocked my active Codex project/workflow for almost a full day. I rely on Remote to continue supervising and interacting with the project while away from the Windows PC. There is currently no useful recovery action exposed to the user beyond re-pairing/restarting, and none of those steps resolved the problem.

This is especially disruptive because the desktop project itself remains intact and usable locally, but the Remote path is unavailable with no actionable diagnostic or recovery control.

Related reports

This appears closely related to:

• #39947 — Android Remote became unusable / Windows host appears disconnected
• #39856 — QR pairing succeeds but Android cannot establish Remote session
• #39954 — Windows + Android Remote reconnect loop / session lifecycle desynchronization
• #39974 — Remote Control unstable while Windows Desktop works normally

The key additional data point in this report is that the failure began around 2026-08-20 23:50 EEST, before updating the Windows desktop client, and that the desktop still updates the Android device's Last connection timestamp during failed connection attempts.

Screenshots of the Android error, Windows Remote settings, and desktop version are available if maintainers need them.

The report names no repository files, tests, or entry points. Start by comparing related issues #39947, #39856, #39954, and #39974, then trace the Android-to-Windows Remote connection path; done means a paired Android device can establish and use a Remote session against an online Windows host.