[Windows][26.820.60940] Ctrl+click no longer opens links in external browser after Aug 25 update
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Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
Powered by Codex & OWL Version 26.820.60940 — Released Aug 25, 2026.
What platform is your computer?
Windows desktop.
What issue are you seeing?
After updating to 26.820.60940, Ctrl+left-clicking a URL in Codex no longer opens the link in the system/default external browser.
Instead, the link is opened in the Codex/ChatGPT built-in browser.
This is a regression from the previous build: Ctrl+left-click was still opening links in the external browser on Aug 24, immediately before this update.
Shift+click does not work as an alternative either; it also fails to open the link externally.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- Run Codex Desktop on Windows using version
26.820.60940. - Find a URL rendered in a Codex conversation.
- Hold Ctrl and left-click the URL.
- Observe that the URL opens in the Codex/ChatGPT built-in browser rather than the system/default browser.
- Try Shift+click as an alternative; it also does not open the URL externally.
What is the expected behavior?
Ctrl+left-click should preserve the behavior from the previous build and open the URL in the system/default external browser.
At minimum, there should be a reliable modifier-click gesture for opening a link externally without having to copy the URL manually or use a context menu.
Additional information
The behavior changed immediately after the Aug 25 update. It was working on Aug 24.
Related issues around external-browser/link-routing behavior:
- #36601 — make the external-browser gesture deterministic
- #32078 — Codex App links cannot open in browser or external browser on Windows
I searched the current issue list and did not find an existing report for this exact 26.820.60940 Ctrl+click regression.
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
Start by reproducing the Ctrl+left-click and Shift+click behavior on Windows with version 26.820.60940, comparing it with the Aug 24 build. Trace the URL link-handling entry point and the modifier-click routing, using issues #36601 and #32078 for context. Done means a modifier-click reliably opens the system default external browser without affecting ordinary link clicks.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- rust
- Domain
- desktop, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 55/100