People running several chats
The desktop activity tray and prioritized status states can make it easier to notice which conversation needs input or has finished.
Independent tool overview
Codex Pets at a glance
Codex Pets are optional animated companions that make ChatGPT and Codex activity easier to follow across the desktop app, supported web chats, and compatible terminals.
Visit the official Codex Pets site ↗
- Product type
- Activity indicator and animated companion
- Main interface
- ChatGPT desktop app
- Other interfaces
- Supported web chats and Codex CLI
- Separate price
- None; availability depends on the account and workspace
Overview
What Codex Pets is
Codex Pets are a visibility and personalization feature inside ChatGPT and Codex, not a separate AI agent. A pet changes appearance and reacts to work states, but it does not change how ChatGPT completes a task or make the underlying coding agent more capable.
The fullest experience is in the ChatGPT desktop app, where a pet can float above other windows, surface activity across multiple chats, and take the user back to the relevant conversation. Its states distinguish work that is running, waiting for input, ready to review, or blocked.
Pets also appear in supported ChatGPT Work chats and interactive Codex CLI sessions, although those versions have fewer controls. Users can choose built-in companions or create compatible custom pets, with important differences in storage, display, and synchronization across interfaces.
Use cases
Who Codex Pets is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Long-running Codex work
A floating pet gives a lightweight visual signal when an active task changes state while the user is working in another window.
Users who want a friendlier interface
Built-in and custom companions add personality without changing prompts, models, permissions, or task behavior.
Interactive terminal users
Compatible terminals can display a pet for the current Codex CLI session and show the same core activity states.
Capabilities
Core Codex Pets features
Floating desktop overlay
The desktop pet can stay above other app windows and signal activity across ChatGPT conversations.
Four task states
Running, Needs input, Ready, and Blocked animations distinguish active work from tasks that require attention or review.
Prioritized activity tray
When several chats are active, the desktop experience prioritizes needs-input items, followed by blocked, ready, and running work.
Built-in and custom pets
Users can choose an included companion, generate a local custom pet in the desktop app, or upload a compatible sprite sheet on the web.
Codex CLI support
Interactive CLI sessions support pet selection and status display in terminals with iTerm2, Kitty graphics, or Sixel support.
Reduced-motion support
The feature respects the operating system's reduced-motion setting and uses a still frame when animation is reduced.
Process
How the Codex Pets workflow works
Step 1
Open the Pets setting
In the ChatGPT desktop app, open the profile menu or Settings and select Pets.
Step 2
Choose a companion
Select a built-in pet or create a custom one when that option is available for the current interface.
Step 3
Wake the desktop pet
Enter /pet or choose Wake Pet from the command menu to show the floating overlay.
Step 4
Follow task status
Use the animation and activity tray to identify running work, unread completions, blocked chats, and requests for input.
Step 5
Open or hide it
Select an activity to return to its chat, or use /pet again or Tuck Away Pet when the overlay is no longer useful.
Cost
Codex Pets pricing and free plan
Codex Pets do not have a standalone price. They are an optional feature within ChatGPT and Codex when available for the user's account, workspace, app, and interface. Any subscription cost and Codex usage limits come from the underlying ChatGPT plan, not from the pet itself.
Included feature
No separate charge
Use a pet when the feature is available in the user's ChatGPT or Codex experience.
- No dedicated Codex Pets subscription
- Account and workspace availability can vary
- Underlying ChatGPT plan limits still apply
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Codex Pets strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- The status states turn background chat activity into an easy-to-scan visual cue.
- The desktop activity tray is useful when several conversations are working at once.
- Built-in, generated, and uploaded pets provide meaningful visual customization.
- Reduced-motion support keeps the feature usable for people who prefer less animation.
What to consider
- Pets are primarily a status and personalization layer; they do not improve model quality, coding ability, or task execution.
- Capabilities differ by interface: web pets do not have the desktop overlay or tray, and the IDE extension has no pet picker.
- Desktop-created custom pets are stored locally and do not automatically sync to ChatGPT on the web.
- Terminal pets require compatible graphics support and do not work inside tmux or Zellij.
Compare
Codex Pets alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Coding
Codex App
Choose the Codex App page for the broader desktop coding-agent workflow that Pets visually accompany.
Explore Codex App →Coding
Claude Code
Choose Claude Code when the priority is a terminal-first coding agent rather than an animated activity companion.
Explore Claude Code →Coding
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)
Choose Windsurf for an agentic IDE with coding assistance built around the editor experience.
Explore Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) →Questions
Codex Pets FAQs
What are Codex Pets?
Codex Pets are optional animated companions that show ChatGPT and Codex activity states. They help users notice running work, requests for input, completed activity, and blocked tasks.
Do Codex Pets make Codex better at coding?
No. OpenAI's documentation says choosing a pet changes its appearance, not how ChatGPT completes tasks. It is an interface and status feature.
How do I turn on a Codex Pet?
In the ChatGPT desktop app, open Settings > Pets, choose a pet, and enter /pet or select Wake Pet from the command menu.
Can I create a custom Codex Pet?
Yes. The desktop app can use the bundled hatch-pet skill to create a local companion. The web interface can upload a transparent PNG or WebP sprite sheet that meets OpenAI's size and dimension requirements.
Do Codex Pets work in the terminal?
Yes, in supported interactive Codex CLI sessions. Terminal pets require iTerm2 3.6 or later, or another terminal with Kitty graphics or Sixel support, and they are unavailable inside tmux and Zellij.
Bottom line
Our Codex Pets verdict
Codex Pets are a small but thoughtful monitoring layer for people who regularly leave ChatGPT or Codex work running in the background. The desktop overlay and multi-chat priority order are the most useful parts; the customization makes that status system more approachable. It should be evaluated as an optional interface feature, not as a standalone AI tool or a reason to expect different model performance.
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