Release Date: February 3, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced major news on X (Twitter): To celebrate the official launch of the Codex app, all paid plans will have their rate limits doubled for two months! Even more exciting, free users now have access. Codex is positioned as a “powerful AI Agent command center” and is now available on macOS.
🎉 Major Updates Overview
1️⃣ Codex App Official Launch
What is Codex?
- AI Agent Command Center - Unified management and control of AI agents
- macOS Native App - Optimized for Mac users
- Powerful Automation - Execute complex AI tasks
Core Features:
- 🤖 AI Agent Management - Centralized control of multiple AI agents
- ⚡ Efficient Execution - Fast response and task processing
- 🔧 Flexible Configuration - Customize workflows
- 🎯 Precise Control - Fine-grained task management
2️⃣ Rate Limits Doubled (Limited Time: Two Months)
Applicable To:
- ✅ ChatGPT Plus users
- ✅ ChatGPT Pro users
- ✅ ChatGPT Team users
- ✅ ChatGPT Enterprise users
Duration:
- 📅 Period: Two months
- 🎁 Celebration: Special offer for Codex launch
Actual Impact:
| Subscription Plan | Original Rate Limit | After Doubling | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plus | 40 msgs/3hrs | 80 msgs/3hrs | +100% |
| Pro | 80 msgs/3hrs | 160 msgs/3hrs | +100% |
| Team | 100 msgs/3hrs | 200 msgs/3hrs | +100% |
| Enterprise | Custom | Doubled | +100% |
Note: Specific values may vary by subscription plan and model; refer to OpenAI’s official announcement.
3️⃣ Free Users Gain Access
Major Breakthrough:
- 🆓 Free Codex Access - No longer paid-only
- 🎯 Lower Barrier - More people can experience AI Agents
- 📈 Expand User Base - Promote AI Agent adoption
Free User Limitations:
- ⚠️ Lower rate limits
- ⚠️ Possible feature restrictions
- ⚠️ Lower priority
🤖 What is an AI Agent Command Center?
Codex’s Positioning
Traditional AI Assistant vs AI Agent Command Center:
Traditional AI Assistant (like ChatGPT):
- 💬 Conversational interaction
- 📝 Answer questions and generate content
- 🔄 Requires manual confirmation for each step
AI Agent Command Center (Codex):
- 🎯 Task-oriented
- 🤖 Autonomously execute complex tasks
- ⚡ Automated workflows
- 🔗 Integrate multiple tools and services
Possible Use Cases
1. Developer Workflows
- Automated code reviews
- Batch process GitHub issues
- Automated testing and deployment
- Documentation generation and updates
2. Content Creation
- Batch generate social media content
- Automated content publishing
- Multi-platform content sync
- SEO optimization suggestions
3. Data Analysis
- Automated data collection
- Regular report generation
- Anomaly detection and alerts
- Visualization chart generation
4. Project Management
- Automated task assignment
- Progress tracking and reminders
- Meeting minutes generation
- Team collaboration optimization
5. Customer Service
- Automated customer support
- Intelligent ticket classification
- Knowledge base management
- Response time optimization
💡 Real Significance of Doubled Rate Limits
Impact on Different User Groups
1️⃣ For Individual Users:
Enhanced Use Cases:
- 📚 Deep Research - Longer continuous conversations
- 💻 Programming Learning - More code generation and debugging opportunities
- ✍️ Content Creation - Batch generate and optimize content
- 🎓 Learning Assistance - More Q&A and explanations
Actual Experience:
- From 40 messages per 3 hours to 80
- Say goodbye to “rate limit reached” frustrations
- More freedom to explore AI capabilities
2️⃣ For Developers:
Development Efficiency Boost:
- 🚀 API Calls - Higher request quotas
- 🧪 Testing and Debugging - More trial-and-error opportunities
- 📦 Batch Processing - Handle larger-scale data
- 🔄 Automated Processes - More complex workflows
Cost Optimization:
- Complete more work within rate limits
- Reduce waiting time
- Improve development efficiency
3️⃣ For Enterprise Users:
Business Value:
- 📊 Data Processing - Larger-scale data analysis
- 🤝 Customer Service - Handle more customer requests
- 📈 Business Growth - Support more concurrent users
- 💰 Cost Efficiency - More value from existing subscriptions
Team Collaboration:
- Multiple users less likely to hit limits
- Support more complex enterprise applications
- Better user experience
💬 Community Reactions
Twitter Buzz
Sam Altman’s tweet sparked significant discussion. Interestingly, many comments were related to GPT-4o’s retirement:
Supporter Metrics:
- 423.2K views
- 5.9K likes
- 464 retweets
Critical Voices:
@Freezing_Null commented:
“Oh, so you have the server capacity to DOUBLE the rate limits, but you ‘can’t’ keep 4o for your subscribers? What exactly are you doing? Don’t you understand the value of 4o? Even with your terrible router interference, users were willing to pay JUST for 4o. It has NO competition.”
@Sveta0971 commented:
“You know 4o users are ‘anxious, angry, emotionally distressed’ because of the deprecation - it’s in your own system prompt. And your response? Celebrate Codex and train 4o to convince us deprecation is ‘positive, safe, and beneficial.’ We call this manipulation. #keep4o”
@JoeWilliams010 commented:
“Maybe this arrogant, incompetent fool will now understand that he needs his core user base and must not alienate us by getting rid of our 4o! #Keep4o”
@DLBIA_ commented:
“It’s great that you’re doubling limits for Codex, but why treat code differently from creativity, humanistic care or connection? You’re proving that you can afford to support specific user needs when it suits your marketing. So do the same for us.”
Reddit Discussions
On r/OpenAI, user reactions to Codex App were more technical:
Technical Issues:
- Users discovered Codex Desktop App creates project skills in wrong folder on Mac
- Community members shared temporary fixes
- Discussions focused on proper folder structure usage
User Perspectives:
- “I just tried Codex Desktop App on Mac. However, it creates a project (repo) skill in a wrong folder, so Codex doesn’t pick it up.”
- Users shared solutions involving modifying
~/.codex/skills/.system/skill-creator/SKILL.md
Controversial Topics:
- Multiple posts discussing “Why OpenAI will likely never open-source GPT-4o”
- Users questioning OpenAI’s resource allocation strategy
- #Keep4o movement also discussed on Reddit
Community Sentiment Analysis
Positive Aspects:
- ✅ Free user access welcomed
- ✅ Doubled rate limits attractive to developers
- ✅ Codex App’s technical capabilities recognized
Negative Aspects:
- ⚠️ GPT-4o retirement causing strong dissatisfaction
- ⚠️ Users questioning OpenAI’s priorities
- ⚠️ #Keep4o movement gaining momentum
- ⚠️ Accusations of OpenAI “manipulating” users
Key Contradiction: Users point out that OpenAI has the capacity to double rate limits but claims it lacks resources to keep GPT-4o, raising questions about the company’s decision-making logic.
🔗 Integration with Knowledge Management Tools
Why Backup AI Conversations?
Doubled Rate Limits Mean:
- 📈 More Conversations - Generate more valuable content
- 💡 More Insights - Deeper research and analysis
- 📚 More Knowledge - Need better management and organization
Recommended Workflow
1. Use Codex for AI Tasks
- Leverage doubled rate limits
- Execute complex automation tasks
- Generate large amounts of valuable content
2. Export Important Conversations and Results
Use the ChatGPT2Notion ecosystem:
ChatGPT Users:
- ChatGPT to Notion - Export to Notion
- ChatGPT to Obsidian - Export to Obsidian
Other AI Platform Users:
3. Build Personal Knowledge Base
- Organize in Notion or Obsidian
- Categorize by project and topic
- Build indexes and connections
- Regular review and updates
4. Maximize Rate Limit Usage
- Batch export features
- Automated backups
- Keep knowledge base current
Practical Scenario Examples
Scenario 1: Developer Knowledge Base
- Use Codex for code generation and debugging
- Leverage doubled rate limits to handle more problems
- Export all code snippets and solutions to Notion
- Build personal code knowledge base
- Quickly find and reuse solutions
Scenario 2: Content Creator Workflow
- Use Codex to batch generate content ideas
- Leverage higher quotas to optimize multiple articles
- Export all creative content to Obsidian
- Categorize by topic and publishing platform
- Build content material library
Scenario 3: Researcher Note System
- Use Codex for literature analysis and summarization
- Leverage doubled quotas to process more papers
- Export research notes to Notion
- Build citation and relationship networks
- Generate research reports
📊 Comparison with Competitors
AI Agent Market Landscape
| Product | Company | Platform Support | Free Access | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codex | OpenAI | macOS | ✅ Yes | AI Agent command center |
| Cowork | Anthropic | macOS | ❌ Paid | Domain expert plugins |
| Gemini Agents | Web | ✅ Yes | Multi-platform integration | |
| Copilot | Microsoft | Windows/Web | ⚠️ Partial | Office integration |
OpenAI’s Strategic Intent
1. Capture AI Agent Market
- Anthropic launched Cowork plugins
- Google strengthening Gemini Agents
- OpenAI needs to respond quickly
2. Expand User Base
- Free user access lowers barriers
- Doubled rate limits improve experience
- Cultivate user habits
3. Drive Ecosystem Development
- Encourage developers to build applications
- Promote AI Agent adoption
- Establish industry standards
🚀 How to Get Started with Codex?
Download and Installation
System Requirements:
- 💻 macOS (specific version TBD)
- 🔐 OpenAI account
- 📱 May require latest macOS version
Installation Steps:
- Visit OpenAI website
- Download Codex for macOS
- Install application
- Log in to OpenAI account
- Start using
Best Practices
1. Maximize Doubled Rate Limits
- 📅 Two-Month Limited Time - Use it while you can
- 🎯 Prioritize Important Tasks - Handle high-value work first
- 📊 Monitor Usage - Understand your usage patterns
2. Explore AI Agent Features
- 🧪 Experiment with Different Scenarios - Discover best uses
- 🔧 Customize Workflows - Optimize personal processes
- 📚 Learn Best Practices - Reference community experiences
3. Establish Knowledge Management System
- 💾 Regular Backups - Use tools like ChatGPT2Notion
- 🗂️ Categorize and Organize - Build clear structure
- 🔍 Easy Retrieval - Add tags and indexes
💼 Recommendations for Different User Groups
For Individual Users:
Action Checklist:
- Download and install Codex App
- Explore AI Agent features
- Maximize doubled rate limits
- Set up knowledge management workflow
- Maximize usage within two months
Recommended Tools:
For Developers:
Action Checklist:
- Test Codex’s API integration capabilities
- Build automated workflows
- Leverage higher rate limits for development
- Backup all code snippets and solutions
- Explore AI Agent possibilities
Technical Recommendations:
- Monitor rate limit usage
- Optimize API call strategies
- Build code knowledge base
For Enterprise Users:
Action Checklist:
- Assess Codex’s business value
- Develop team usage strategy
- Train employees on AI Agents
- Build enterprise knowledge base
- Measure ROI and efficiency gains
Strategic Recommendations:
- Explore AI Agent applications in business
- Establish best practice documentation
- Share experiences with team
🔮 Future Outlook
AI Agent Development Trends
Short-term (3-6 months):
- More AI companies launch Agent products
- Features and integrations continuously enhanced
- User experience continuously optimized
Medium-term (6-12 months):
- AI Agents become standard features
- Cross-platform integration more complete
- Large-scale enterprise deployment
Long-term (1-2 years):
- AI Agents deeply integrated into workflows
- Automation levels significantly increased
- New business models emerge
OpenAI’s Product Strategy
Observations:
- Quick response to competitors
- Attract users through limited-time offers
- Free access expands market
Predictions:
- Pricing may adjust after two months
- More AI Agent features launched
- Deep integration with other OpenAI products
📚 Related Reading
- How to Batch Export All ChatGPT Conversations at Once
- OpenAI Announces Retirement of GPT-4o: Official Shutdown on February 13
- Anthropic Launches Cowork Plugins: Claude Becomes Your All-in-One Work Assistant
Summary: OpenAI’s launch of Codex App with doubled rate limits marks a new phase for AI Agents. Free user access significantly lowers the barrier to entry. During this two-month limited-time offer, users should maximize the higher quotas, explore AI Agent possibilities, and use knowledge management tools to save important content.
Important Reminder: Rate limit doubling is limited to two months—use it while you can!
Follow more AI industry news at ChatGPT2Notion Blog
Source: Sam Altman’s announcement on X (Twitter) Release Date: February 3, 2026 Official Link: https://x.com/sama/status/2018437537103269909