Windows Codex desktop: Send button spins forever and prompts never submit

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

26.820.7780.0

What subscription do you have?

pro x5

What platform is your computer?

Windows 11, build 26200.0, x64

What issue are you seeing?

In the ChatGPT desktop app with Codex, sending a follow-up prompt in an existing thread stops at the UI spinner: the message never appears in the conversation and no task begins. The Send arrow becomes visibly dimmer/less bright when clicked, then remains in the spinner state indefinitely.

Creating a brand-new thread and sending its initial prompt works normally in the desktop app. The failure begins with later messages/replies in that same thread.

The local Codex service can still list and read existing threads, and codex login status reports “Logged in using ChatGPT”. However, after clicking Send there is no task-start event in the desktop logs, suggesting the renderer/UI is failing before prompt submission.

I did not find a Windows application crash event or a missing-skill/configuration error.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: 01a03bb1-9d14-7b10-8669-0aa1f1592531

What is the expected behavior?

The prompt should be submitted promptly, appear in the thread, and start the requested Codex task. If submission fails, the app should show a clear, actionable error rather than an indefinite spinner.

Additional information

The problem also started after the latest Codex desktop-app update, so it may be update-related. It also began around the time I removed disabled third-party Caveman and Spec Kit skill installations; that is only a timing correlation, because the removals completed cleanly and no remaining missing-skill or configuration error was found.

The key contrast: I can still send messages to these threads from the ChatGPT Remote/mobile functionality. The failure is limited to submitting messages from the Windows desktop Codex UI.

I can provide a short screen recording and sanitized diagnostic logs if needed. Please advise on a safe profile/renderer reset that does not require closing the desktop app while I am connected only through ChatGPT Remote on mobile.

Start with the Windows desktop renderer's follow-up prompt submission path and compare it with the working new-thread flow. Use the desktop logs and Feedback ID 01a03bb1-9d14-7b10-8669-0aa1f1592531 to trace the missing task-start event; done means follow-up prompts appear and start tasks, or failures produce an actionable error instead of an endless spinner.