Codex Launches Locked Use Feature, Users Can Continue to Operate Mac While Locked
Codex has launched the Locked Use feature, allowing users to continue operating their Mac while it is locked.
Users can issue commands remotely via their phones, and Codex utilizes Apple's official Authorization Plug-in mechanism to temporarily unlock and execute operations, automatically relocking the screen afterward, keeping the display in a black protective state throughout.
This feature employs a four-layer security design: a very brief authorization window, single unlock, screen obscuration during operation, and immediate relocking upon detecting local input.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Codex has previously integrated deeply with the Mac system and supports IDE operations. The Locked Use feature continues its evolution from code completion to full computer autonomy. Earlier, similar authorization mechanisms allowed for background task execution, and this official launch significantly enhances the practicality of remote and non-present work scenarios.
From a capital perspective, OpenAI is directing Codex's Mac resources towards enterprise security and remote productivity, focusing on official Plug-in optimization and multi-device control. The motivation is to address the user pain point of needing the computer to remain on, while the strict four-layer security design alleviates corporate deployment concerns, accelerating Codex's transition from a personal tool to an enterprise-level AI colleague.
Competition exists with Cursor and Windsurf in Mac proxy capabilities, and Apple Intelligence is expanding into local proxies. The current AI computer proxy industry is transitioning from front-end interaction to back-end autonomous execution during lock screen phases, with early Mac-optimized products seizing productivity advantages through secure remote capabilities.
Essentially, this represents a technological replacement: Locked Use shifts pricing power from traditional remote desktop tools (like TeamViewer) to AI secure autonomous proxies. The mechanism leverages Apple's official authorization to achieve "black screen temporary unlock + automatic relock," enabling Codex to safely complete file operations, code execution, and other tasks when users are not present, marking a structural leap from "humans must sit in front of the computer" to "AI works for you 24/7."
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
Locking the screen is no longer the end of work, but the beginning of AI taking over.
The stricter the security mechanism, the more users are willing to fully entrust their computers to AI.
Whoever first transforms the "after-work computer" into productivity will hold the pricing power of time.