5-hour quota starts ~40% depleted and continues draining while idle after reset (Plus, macOS)

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

26.901.31953

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Darwin arm64 arm

What issue are you seeing?

My 5-hour Codex/Work quota is being consumed when I am not running or submitting any Codex/Work tasks.

I observed this twice on Sep. 4.

First occurrence

Before I had done any Codex work on this account that day, I opened Codex and the 5-hour quota was already only approximately 50–60% remaining.

I had not used Codex on this account earlier that day, so I could not identify any activity that should have already consumed roughly half of the 5-hour window.

Second occurrence after an automatic reset

Later, I reached the 5-hour usage limit and stopped using Codex.

I waited for the automatic reset, which occurred at approximately 8:08–8:09 PM CDT.

After the reset, I did not start or submit any new Codex or Work task.

Despite that, the new window was already substantially depleted and continued decreasing while idle:

• ~10 minutes after reset: 58% remaining
• ~23 minutes after reset: 51% remaining
• Later while still idle: ~39% remaining
• Later while still idle: ~17% remaining

The first two readings are documented by timestamped screenshots:

• 8:18:40 PM CDT — 58% remaining
• 8:31:40 PM CDT — 51% remaining

The official ChatGPT desktop Usage page and the ChatGPT web Usage page showed the same quota values.

During the unexplained decrease:

• I was not submitting Codex prompts.
• No Codex task was actively running.
• The previous task had already stopped after the prior usage window reached its limit.
• No cloud Work task was running.
• No scheduled task was running.
• No Voice/Work task was running.

The main issue is that the quota decreased despite there being no corresponding user-initiated Codex/Work activity.

This also happened twice in the same day: once before I had performed any Codex work on the account that day, and again immediately after a later automatic 5-hour reset.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Reach the 5-hour Codex/Work usage limit.
2. Stop all Codex work and wait for the automatic 5-hour reset.
3. After the reset, do not submit any new Codex or Work tasks.
4. Open Settings → Usage and check the remaining 5-hour quota.
5. Leave Codex idle.
6. Check the remaining quota again several minutes later.
7. Compare the value with the ChatGPT web Usage page.

Observed on Sep. 4:

• ~8:08–8:09 PM CDT: automatic reset
• 8:18:40 PM CDT: 58% remaining
• 8:31:40 PM CDT: 51% remaining
• Later while still idle: ~39% remaining
• Later while still idle: ~17% remaining

No new Codex/Work task was started during this sequence.

I also observed the same general problem earlier that day: before doing any Codex work on this account, the 5-hour quota was already only approximately 50–60% remaining.

What is the expected behavior?

After the 5-hour Codex/Work usage window resets, the refreshed quota should be available unless chargeable Codex/Work activity actually occurs.

If no Codex/Work task is running and no new request is being submitted, the remaining quota should not continue decreasing.

If background or system-generated activity can consume the quota, the Usage page should identify the activity responsible for that consumption.

Additional information

The issue occurred twice on the same day.

First occurrence

• Before any Codex work on this account that day: approximately 50–60% remaining

Second occurrence

• Automatic reset: approximately 8:08–8:09 PM CDT
• ~10 minutes after reset: 58% remaining
• ~23 minutes after reset: 51% remaining
• Later while idle: ~39% remaining
• Later while idle: ~17% remaining

The 58% and 51% values are documented by timestamped screenshots.

The official ChatGPT desktop Usage page and ChatGPT web Usage page showed matching quota values.

The previous Codex task was already stopped before the reset. No cloud Work task, scheduled task, or Voice/Work task was running during the unexplained decrease.

The pattern I am reporting is:

Fresh/unused window → already partially depleted → continues decreasing while idle with no new tasks submitted.

This appears similar to #42765.

Start by reproducing the reset sequence in Settings → Usage and compare the desktop and web Usage pages at the documented timestamps. Done means the 5-hour quota remains stable while idle with no new Codex or Work task, or the Usage page identifies the activity consuming it.