Please allow changing the default Codex workspace directory on macOS

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.810.52044

What subscription do you have?

Pro

What platform is your computer?

macOS

What issue are you seeing?

related to https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/32039

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Description

The ChatGPT macOS app currently uses:

~/Documents/Codex

as the default location for projectless Codex/Work sessions.

This is a serious problem on macOS because many users enable iCloud Drive → Desktop & Documents Folders. When that option is enabled, the entire ~/Documents directory is synchronized with iCloud.

As a result, Codex automatically creates working directories, generated files, temporary artifacts, and other development-related data inside an iCloud-synchronized directory.

For development workloads, this is a very undesirable default.

Why this is a problem

When ~/Documents is managed by iCloud Drive:

• Codex workspaces are automatically uploaded to iCloud.
• Large or frequently changing development files can generate unnecessary synchronization traffic.
• Temporary/generated files are synchronized even though they do not need cloud storage.
• File changes made by Codex can trigger continuous iCloud synchronization.
• Developers may unintentionally store source code or generated artifacts in iCloud.
• iCloud’s file-provider behavior can potentially interfere with tooling that expects normal local filesystem semantics.
• Users cannot simply move the Codex directory elsewhere because the application currently expects the projectless workspace under ~/Documents/Codex.

This makes ~/Documents a particularly poor default for a development workspace on macOS.

Expected behavior

Please provide a configurable default workspace directory for projectless Codex sessions.

For example:

~/Developer/Codex

or:

~/Library/Application Support/ChatGPT/Codex

or any user-selected directory.

A setting such as:

[desktop]
projectless_workspace_root = "/Users/example/Developer/Codex"

would also solve the problem.

Ideally, the macOS application should expose this through the UI:

Settings
→ Codex
→ Default workspace location

Suggested default

Even without adding a preference, ~/Documents/Codex should probably not be the default on macOS.

A development workspace belongs more naturally under a directory such as:

~/Developer/Codex

or an application-specific local data directory.

~/Documents has special meaning on macOS because Apple explicitly allows the entire directory to be managed by iCloud Drive.

Environment

• macOS
• ChatGPT desktop app
• iCloud Drive enabled
• “Desktop & Documents Folders” enabled

Summary

Please make the default Codex workspace directory configurable.

Using ~/Documents/Codex unconditionally causes Codex development data to be synchronized to iCloud for users who enable Apple’s standard Desktop & Documents synchronization feature. This is unnecessary, potentially expensive in storage and synchronization activity, and inappropriate for temporary development workspaces.

What is the expected behavior?

No response

Additional information

No response

Start by tracing where the macOS ChatGPT desktop app selects ~/Documents/Codex for projectless Codex sessions, and review the related issue 32039. Done means users can configure the workspace location through a setting or user-selected directory instead of the app unconditionally using ~/Documents/Codex.