Is Codex Down? How to Check OpenAI Codex Status and Fix It Fast (2026)

01 · Check

Is Codex down right now?

Two places to look before you change anything.

How do I check if Codex is down?

Go to status.openai.com. OpenAI lists Codex as its own component next to ChatGPT and the API, and posts incidents with start times and updates. If Codex is marked degraded or down, the issue is on OpenAI's side. Third-party trackers such as StatusGator and Host-Tracker also collect user reports, which can show a problem a few minutes before OpenAI posts it.

Source: OpenAI Status; StatusGator: OpenAI Codex status and outage history

When was the last Codex outage?

Recent official incidents include October 21, 2026, when OpenAI reported degraded performance in ChatGPT, Codex and the APIs for about an hour, from 02:26 to 03:28 UTC, and October 7, 2026, when an incident lasted 1 hour 35 minutes, from 16:31 to 18:06 UTC. StatusGator's history also shows a long run of minor warnings in early October 2026.

Source: Host-Tracker: OpenAI Codex outage on October 21, 2026; Host-Tracker: OpenAI Codex outage on October 7, 2026; StatusGator: OpenAI Codex status and outage history

The status page is green but Codex is not working. Why?

Then it is almost always local or account-specific. In order of how often we see them: you hit your 5-hour or weekly usage limit; you are signed in with an API key that has no credits; your sign-in token expired; a corporate proxy, VPN or firewall is blocking OpenAI's endpoints; or you are on an old CLI, IDE extension or desktop app version with a known bug. Work through the fixes below.

Source: OpenAI Help: Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan; GPTPrompts.AI: Codex usage limit reset explained; GPTPrompts.AI: Codex 'Connection failed: error sending request'

Is Codex down for everyone or just me?

If status.openai.com is green, outage trackers show no spike in reports, and teammates on the same plan can work, it is just you. Try Codex on a different network such as a phone hotspot: if it works there, your network or proxy is the cause.

Source: StatusGator: OpenAI Codex status and outage history; GPTPrompts.AI: Codex 'Connection failed: error sending request'

02 · Fix

Fix the most common Codex errors

Match the message you see to the fix.

Codex says 'stream disconnected before completion'. What do I do?

This means the connection dropped mid-response. If it ends with 'You have no credits remaining', add credits or switch to signing in with your ChatGPT plan. Otherwise it is usually a network interruption, a proxy timing out long responses, or an OpenAI incident. Our dedicated guide walks through each variant.

Source: GPTPrompts.AI: Codex 'stream disconnected before completion'; GPTPrompts.AI: 'You have no credits remaining' in Codex and the API

Codex says I have reached my usage limit. When does it reset?

ChatGPT plans meter Codex in a rolling 5-hour window plus a weekly limit, and Codex shows when your limit resets. Plus users can upgrade to a Pro tier for more usage or buy credits, and Pro tiers have no 5-hour limit. Our Codex usage limit guide explains both windows.

Source: GPTPrompts.AI: Codex usage limit reset explained; OpenAI Help: Using Codex with your ChatGPT plan

Codex shows 'Connection failed: error sending request'.

Codex could not reach OpenAI at all. Check your internet connection, then proxy and VPN settings, TLS-inspecting corporate firewalls and any HTTPS_PROXY variables in your shell. If you are in a country OpenAI does not support, you will instead see an unsupported country, region or territory error.

Source: GPTPrompts.AI: Codex 'Connection failed: error sending request'; GPTPrompts.AI: OpenAI unsupported_country_region_territory error

Codex sign-in fails or keeps asking me to log in.

Sign out, update Codex, then sign in again with the same account that has your ChatGPT plan. If the browser says sign-in succeeded but the CLI does not, the local callback was blocked, often by a firewall or a remote SSH session. Our sign-in guide covers the device-code flow for those cases.

Source: GPTPrompts.AI: Codex 'Sign-in could not be completed'

I get '401 Missing bearer authentication' or '429 Too Many Requests'.

A 401 means Codex sent no valid credentials, usually because an API key environment variable is empty or set in the wrong shell. A 429 means you are sending requests faster than your plan or API tier allows; wait and retry, or lower concurrency. Each has a full guide in our AI errors hub.

Source: GPTPrompts.AI: 401 Missing bearer authentication; GPTPrompts.AI: 429 Too Many Requests

The Codex desktop app closes right after I log in on Windows.

In October 2026 users reported that Windows Codex Desktop version 26.1002.7124.0 silently closed 10 to 35 seconds after login, and a workaround was posted on the OpenAI community forum before the thread closed on October 11. Update to the latest desktop build first; if it persists, check the forum and the Codex GitHub issues for your exact version.

Source: OpenAI Community: Windows Codex Desktop 26.1002.7124.0 closes after login (workaround)

03 · Prevent

Keep working when Codex is down

Outages are short; plan so they do not stop you.

What should I do while Codex is down?

Commit your work so nothing is lost when the session drops, then wait for the incident to clear rather than retrying in a loop, which can burn usage when service returns. If you need to keep going, switch to another agent such as Claude Code for the duration, or work on review and tests by hand.

Source: OpenAI Status; Context.dev: Codex vs Claude Code vs OpenCode vs Cursor (Oct 18, 2026)

Can I get alerts when Codex goes down?

Yes. status.openai.com lets you subscribe to incident updates, and third-party services such as StatusGator send alerts and track Codex history. Subscribing beats refreshing during an outage.