Codex Computer Use Complete Guide: OpenAI Cloud Agent and Account Verification in Practice

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On April 16, 2026, OpenAI officially rolled out a brand-new plugin to ChatGPT Plus and higher subscribers — Codex Computer Use — granting Codex the ability to "operate a computer" for the first time. Codex is no longer just completing code inside an editor; it can now autonomously open browsers, drive desktop apps, execute shell commands, modify code across files, and submit PRs inside a cloud virtual machine. This article systematically reviews the capabilities and boundaries of Codex Computer Use, its typical scenarios, and how to complete OpenAI account phone verification smoothly via the SMS-Act verification platform so you can be among the first to experience this new era of agentic programming.

Codex Computer Use Release Highlights (2026-04-16)

From Code Completion to Cloud Agent

Codex first appeared as a code-completion model, then evolved into a Cloud Coding Agent capable of reading, writing, and running tests in sandboxed repositories. The Computer Use plugin released on April 16, 2026 represents a pivotal leap — handing "using the mouse and the browser" to Codex itself:

• Browser automation: open specific URLs, click buttons, fill out forms, take verification screenshots
• Desktop operations: invoke system-level UI (editors, terminals, debugging tools)
• Shell execution: run build, test, and deployment commands inside an isolated virtual machine
• Multi-file changes + PRs: refactor across repositories and generate reviewable pull requests

How It Compares with Similar Products

Product	Focus	Use cases
OpenAI Codex Computer Use	Software engineering specialist, deeply integrated with ChatGPT	Front-end QA, automated PRs, cross-repo refactors
Anthropic Computer Use	General-purpose desktop agent	Office automation, general browser tasks
GitHub Copilot Agent	In-IDE agent	Inline code collaboration inside the IDE

The three target different goals and can complement each other. This article makes no value judgment — developers can choose based on their workflow. For details on the Claude family subscriptions, see the Claude Opus and Sonnet Verification Subscription Guide.

Typical Use Cases for Codex Computer Use

Scenario 1: Automated Front-End QA

Traditionally, an engineer has to open a browser manually and click through regression test cases. With Codex Computer Use, you can instruct Codex to "open the staging environment, complete the login → checkout → payment flow, take screenshots, and flag anomalies".

Scenario 2: Data Scraping and Reporting

Let Codex follow a natural-language instruction like "open the Bing Webmaster backend, download last week's query data, aggregate it into a CSV, and submit a PR" — all without a human touching the browser.

Scenario 3: Cross-Repo Code Review

Codex Computer Use can clone multiple repositories in the cloud, run static analysis tools, compare interface consistency, and generate a report — drastically shortening the preparation cycle for large refactors.

Scenario 4: Cross-Tool Collaboration

The chain of Codex → browser → local editor → terminal is fully linked. Developers only need to provide the goal, and Codex decides which tools to invoke on its own.

Why Enabling Codex Computer Use Requires OpenAI Account Verification

Codex Computer Use is currently available to ChatGPT Plus / Pro / Team / Enterprise subscribers. During sign-up or upgrade, OpenAI typically triggers phone SMS verification to:

• Prevent abuse: Computer Use can operate external systems, so risk controls are stricter
• Regional compliance: different countries have differentiated regulations on AI agent services
• Account confirmation: a bound phone is the foundation for account recovery and multi-factor authentication

For users in regions where their numbers aren't supported, a professional SMS verification platform is needed. For the full OpenAI phone verification process, see the OpenAI SMS Verification Complete Guide.

Steps to Complete Codex Onboarding Verification with SMS-Act

Why Choose SMS-Act?

SMS-Act offers a stable SMS verification channel for the OpenAI product family (ChatGPT, GPT-5, Sora, Codex):

• 100+ country numbers: covers OpenAI-friendly regions including the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Mexico, and more
• High success rate: 95%+ verification pass rate, verification codes typically delivered within 30 seconds
• Transparent billing: 8 credits per attempt; if SMS reception fails, credits are automatically refunded to your account with no need to contact support
• One-time number mechanism: numbers are valid within a 15-minute verification window. SMS-Act only provides one-time temporary numbers and does not retain personal user information
• Multiple payment options: WeChat, Alipay, and Stripe are all supported

Full Workflow

Step 1: Register and Top Up SMS-Act

1. Visit the SMS-Act official site and complete email registration
2. Choose a payment method in the user center to top up credits
3. We recommend pre-loading at least 24 credits (equivalent to 3 verification attempts)

Step 2: Select the OpenAI SMS Service

1. Search "OpenAI" or "ChatGPT" in the SMS-Act service catalog
2. Pick a country as needed — US / UK / Canada are recommended (OpenAI-friendly)
3. Click "Get Number", and the page will immediately return a phone number usable for OpenAI registration

Step 3: Receive the Verification Code

1. Go back to the OpenAI registration or upgrade page and enter the number you just obtained
2. Click "Send verification code"
3. The SMS content will appear in real time on the SMS-Act order page
4. Enter the 6-digit code from the SMS back into OpenAI to complete verification

If this is your first time registering a ChatGPT account, see ChatGPT 5 Free Registration Tutorial for extended reading.

Step 4: Enable the Codex Computer Use Plugin

1. Sign in to ChatGPT → select the "Codex" workspace in the sidebar
2. Open the plugin panel in the top-right corner
3. Find "Computer Use" and click "Enable"
4. First-time use prompts for sandbox access authorization — confirm as prompted
5. Enter a task description in the dialog box to let Codex start operating the computer

Codex Computer Use Tips and Safety Recommendations

Authorization Scope and Sandbox Isolation

• Principle of least privilege: only grant Codex the browser / file / network permissions required to complete the task
• Sandbox visibility: all Codex operations run inside a cloud virtual machine and will not directly modify your local system
• Task timeouts: set reasonable maximum execution times to prevent the agent from falling into infinite loops

Handling Sensitive Credentials

• Never paste directly in conversation: API keys, database passwords, and other sensitive information
• Use OpenAI's secret storage to save them encrypted
• Rotate keys regularly and audit Codex's operation logs

Cost and Rate Limits

The exact rate limits, pricing, and concurrent task counts for Codex Computer Use at launch are still being tuned — please refer to OpenAI's official announcements as authoritative. We suggest:

• Start with small-scale tasks and observe the token consumption curve
• Use task templates to reuse common workflows and lower costs
• Monitor daily usage to avoid hitting rate limits that affect production

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is Codex Computer Use free? A: Codex Computer Use is available to ChatGPT Plus and higher subscribers. The subscription itself is paid, and the plugin is included in the subscription.

Q2: Can users outside mainland China use SMS-Act? A: SMS-Act is an SMS verification service for global users, offering numbers from 100+ countries (excluding mainland-China numbers). The platform does not provide SMS verification for mainland-China phone numbers.

Q3: Is Codex Computer Use the same product as ChatGPT Agent? A: They have different focuses. ChatGPT Agent targets general-purpose task automation (booking flights, ordering food, schedule management, etc.), while Codex Computer Use concentrates on software engineering scenarios (front-end QA, automated PRs, cross-repo refactors).

Q4: Are credits deducted when verification fails? A: No. SMS-Act automatically refunds 8 credits to your account balance when a number fails to receive the code — no need to contact support.

Q5: Does SMS-Act support long-term number rental? A: No. SMS-Act only provides one-time temporary numbers (valid within a 15-minute window) and does not offer any form of number rental service. If you want to maintain long-term access to your account, we recommend enabling a backup email + two-factor authenticator app in your OpenAI account after verification as a stable recovery channel.

Summary

Codex Computer Use is a milestone feature launched by OpenAI on April 16, 2026, upgrading Codex from "able to write code" to "able to operate a computer". To experience this capability as soon as possible, you first need a phone-verified ChatGPT Plus account. With the 100+ country numbers and 8-credit transparent pricing of the SMS-Act verification platform, you can complete OpenAI account verification within 10 minutes and immediately step into the new era of Codex Computer Use development agents.

Related Reading

• OpenAI SMS Verification Complete Guide: ChatGPT Registration SMS Tutorial
• ChatGPT 5 Free Registration Tutorial: SMS Platform OpenAI Verification Complete Guide
• Claude Opus and Sonnet Verification Subscription Guide

Disclaimer

This platform is designed to support development testing, business verification, and international service scenarios, helping users complete processes in a reasonable and compliant manner.

Users are expected to ensure that their use of the service complies with applicable laws, regulations, and the policies of third-party platforms. The platform does not participate in or control how the service is used.

Accounts associated with abnormal or improper usage may be subject to restrictions in accordance with platform policies.

Users must be at least 18 years old and acknowledge that they are fully responsible for their own use and any resulting outcomes. If you do not agree with these terms, please discontinue use of the service.

Visit SMS-Act now and start your Codex Computer Use AI agent journey!

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