Feature Request: Add option to display reasoning summaries (thinking blocks) in Codex macOS app

[JKay15]

Problem

The Codex macOS app does not display reasoning summaries or thinking blocks during model execution. When the model is thinking, the UI shows nothing until the final answer appears, which makes the app feel unresponsive. Other Codex tools such as the CLI and IDE render reasoning summaries, and there are configuration flags (model_reasoning_summary, hide_agent_reasoning, show_raw_agent_reasoning) documented to control reasoning visibility.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install the latest Codex macOS app (observed on the build current as of 2026‑02‑05).
2. Launch a new conversation and ask a non‑trivial question.
3. Observe that during long thinking, the app does not stream reasoning summaries or display thinking blocks.
4. Edit ~/.codex/config.toml and add:

   model_reasoning_summary = "detailed"
   hide_agent_reasoning = false
   show_raw_agent_reasoning = true

   then restart the app.
5. Observe that the app still does not display reasoning summaries.

Expected behavior

The Codex macOS app should either:

• Display reasoning summaries in the main chat view like the CLI/IDE does. The CLI issue Feature Request: Stream reasoning summaries incrementally to improve perceived responsiveness #8204 proposes flushing reasoning summaries incrementally and showing them by default【902190394343352†L242-L254】.
• Or provide a user-visible setting to toggle reasoning summaries and respect model_reasoning_summary, hide_agent_reasoning, and show_raw_agent_reasoning configuration flags.

Related issues

The CLI/TUI has existing tickets about reasoning summary visibility and configuration flags not being respected【405976122463457†L240-L269】. Those issues confirm that users want control over reasoning visibility. This request is specifically for the macOS app, which currently lacks any UI to display these summaries or to configure them.

Environment

• Codex macOS app version: latest as of 2026‑02‑05 (Codex CLI 0.97.0)
• Model: gpt‑5.2‑codex
• Platform: macOS (Apple Silicon)

Thanks for considering adding this capability to improve perceived responsiveness and feature parity with other Codex tools.

[swordfish444]

@etraut-openai This seems like the same underlying request as #8204 (stream reasoning summaries incrementally so the UI doesn’t feel frozen during long thinking). Suggest consolidating into one canonical issue (e.g. add an app label to #8204 and close this as a dup) to keep discussion + prioritization in one place.

[etraut-openai]

@swordfish444, I think these are unrelated. This is specifically about the Codex app and the presence of reasoning summaries. The other is about streaming reasoning summaries in the CLI.

[swordfish444]

@etraut-openai Good call — I was mapping this to the broader “UI feels frozen during long thinking” request, but agreed this is app-specific (displaying summaries at all) vs CLI streaming behavior. Thanks for the quick correction.