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OpenAI has introduced OpenAI Computer History, an opt-in feature for the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS that allows ChatGPT and Codex to remember activity across selected apps and websites.
The feature creates a searchable timeline and memories from supported computer activity. This allows users to recover context from previous work without having to explain everything they were doing in an earlier session.
OpenAI announced Computer History in its August 13, 2026 product changelog. The feature is currently available to ChatGPT Pro, Business and Enterprise users.
How Computer History Works
OpenAI Computer History does not operate by continuously recording the Mac’s screen.
Instead, it uses supported interaction information from macOS, including actions such as clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts and switching between applications. This activity can then be organized into a timeline and used to create memories that ChatGPT and Codex can reference later.
The feature replaces Chronicle, an earlier research preview that used screen captures. Recent reporting confirms that Computer History takes a different approach by working with interaction events instead of continuously storing screenshots or recordings.
Users Control Which Activity Is Included
Privacy controls are a central part of the feature.
Computer History is off by default, requiring users to actively opt in. Users can choose which apps and websites contribute activity to their history, pause collection and review or delete stored history.
The feature also does not capture screenshots, screen recordings, microphone input or system audio, according to OpenAI’s documentation and reporting on the launch.
This distinction is important because Computer History is designed to provide context without functioning as a conventional screen-recording system.
Temporary Handling of Raw Activity
OpenAI says raw interaction events are temporarily handled during the process of generating memories, while the resulting memory information can remain available for later use.
The feature is designed so that ChatGPT and Codex can retrieve useful context from previous activity without requiring users to manually provide the same information repeatedly.
For Business and Enterprise customers, administrators must first enable Computer History before individual workspace members can turn it on.
Availability Remains Limited
The initial rollout does not include the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
OpenAI says availability in those regions is expected in the coming weeks. This means access depends not only on a user’s ChatGPT plan but also on their location and, for workplace accounts, administrator settings.
Privacy and Prompt-Injection Risks
The additional context provided by OpenAI Computer History also introduces security concerns.
OpenAI warns that computer activity can expose users to prompt-injection risks. Malicious instructions embedded in websites or applications could potentially become part of the information that an AI system later processes.
That matters because ChatGPT and Codex may use historical activity as context for future tasks. A malicious instruction encountered during normal computer use could therefore create risks beyond the original interaction.
OpenAI recommends users pause collection when interacting with people who have not given consent, particularly when handling sensitive communications.
Computer History Could Lead to AI Automation
Computer History is intended to do more than help users remember what they previously did.
OpenAI also sees the feature as a foundation for reusable skills and automations. When the system recognizes repeated workflows, it can suggest turning those patterns into reusable processes that Codex can help build.
For example, a repeated sequence of applications and actions used to complete a particular task could eventually become an AI-assisted workflow.
This moves ChatGPT closer to an assistant that understands not only individual questions but also how a user works over time.
What OpenAI Computer History Means for ChatGPT
The feature represents a significant shift toward more contextual AI assistants.
Instead of starting every conversation without knowledge of a user’s recent computer activity, ChatGPT and Codex can potentially use selected historical context to resume work, locate information and understand recurring tasks.
However, the greater usefulness also comes with greater responsibility. Giving an AI system access to information about computer activity creates additional privacy and security considerations, making user controls and careful handling of malicious content particularly important.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OpenAI Computer History?
OpenAI Computer History is an opt-in macOS feature that turns supported activity across selected apps and websites into a searchable timeline and memories that ChatGPT and Codex can use.
Does Computer History record my screen?
No. OpenAI says it uses interaction events rather than continuous screenshots or screen recordings.
Who can use Computer History?
The initial rollout is available to ChatGPT Pro, Business and Enterprise users on macOS.
Is Computer History available in the UK?
Not initially. The UK, EEA and Switzerland are excluded from the first rollout.
Can Computer History help automate tasks?
Yes. OpenAI says repeated workflows can potentially be identified and turned into reusable skills or automations with Codex.
Conclusion
OpenAI Computer History gives ChatGPT and Codex a new way to understand and remember selected activity across a user’s Mac.
Its searchable timeline, user-controlled app and website selection, and potential connection to Codex skills could make ChatGPT more useful for recurring work. At the same time, the feature introduces important privacy and prompt-injection considerations.
Rather than simply recording everything on a screen, OpenAI is taking an event-based approach to creating computer-use memories. Whether users are comfortable giving AI this deeper level of context will likely determine how broadly Computer History becomes adopted.