Android Remote project list differs from Desktop: stale folders remain and a saved project is missing

Environment

• Client: ChatGPT Android app, Remote
• Host: Debian 13, x86_64
• Desktop app: 26.901.41600
• Bundled Codex CLI: 0.153.4

Description

Android Remote and the Desktop app show different project lists for the same connected host.

Desktop correctly shows three saved local projects. Android Remote shows only two of those projects, plus the user's home directory and two old test directories. The third saved project is missing.

The connection is working: Android shows recent conversations from this host, including conversations belonging to the missing project.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create conversations in several directories, including the home directory and temporary test directories.
2. Organize the Desktop app into a smaller set of saved local projects.
3. Include a saved project whose directory follows this pattern:
   ~/Documents/Codex/YYYY-MM-DD-project-name
4. Connect to the same host through ChatGPT Android Remote.
5. Compare the project lists.

Expected behavior

Android Remote should reflect the host's saved project list and project names, including explicitly saved projects located under Documents/Codex.

Historical working directories should not remain as additional projects solely because conversations were previously created there.

Actual behavior

• Old working directories remain visible as projects.
• A saved Desktop project under Documents/Codex is missing.
• Its conversations are still accessible through the recent conversation list.
• Reconnecting after updating the Desktop app does not resolve the mismatch.

Diagnostic observations

• The Desktop project records and the host's SQLite project tables contain the correct three projects.
• During an observed Android reconnect, server logs showed thread/list requests but no project/list request.
• Grouping non-archived conversations by working directory, excluding paths matching the generated projectless-chat directory pattern, produces exactly the five folders shown on Android.
• Temporarily removing obsolete projects.<path>.trust_level entries from config.toml did not change the Android list. Those entries were subsequently restored.

These observations suggest that Android may derive its project list from conversation working directories rather than saved project records. This is an inference, not a confirmed implementation detail.

Impact

Project organization differs across devices, old test folders clutter the mobile list, and a valid saved project is difficult to find.

Related reports

• #36754 — Android Remote uses the folder basename instead of the saved project name.
• #35972 — Mobile Remote and Desktop project assignments do not reconcile.
• #31623 — Mobile Remote groups sessions by exact working directory.

This report additionally covers a saved project apparently being excluded because its path matches the generated projectless-chat directory pattern.

Start by tracing Android Remote handling of the observed thread/list request and the absent project/list request, then compare that path with the Desktop project records and the host's SQLite project tables. Reproduce with saved projects and historical working directories, and confirm that the mobile list uses saved projects and names while excluding obsolete conversation folders and the generated projectless-chat pattern.