Codex notifications on macOS
Getting alerted when Codex finishes a task, needs permission, or asks a question on macOS, from CLI notifications to an always-on menu-bar view.
By Piotr Jura, creator of AgentNotch. Tested on macOS with AgentNotch v1.3.1.
Three moments in a Codex run are worth catching: the task finished, it needs permission to do something, or it has a question. Miss any of them and the session stops making progress while you work on something else.
The CLI gives you a hook to run a command when those moments happen, which you can point at a macOS banner. That works, and it costs you a shell script to write and keep working. It also fires once per event. If you were in a call, the banner is gone and the session is still sitting there. Codex Desktop keeps its state inside its own window, which has the same problem in a different shape.
Where AgentNotch fits
AgentNotch keeps the state visible rather than firing once. Every Codex session shows its status in the menu bar, in Desktop and in the CLI, and the one waiting on your yes stays flagged until you answer. You can approve straight from the notch, or click through and land in the exact session. There's nothing to configure and no keys to hand over. It runs on your Mac and never reads your code.
Side by side
| What it does | Its limit | |
|---|---|---|
| Codex CLI notify hook | Runs a command you choose when Codex finishes or asks for something. | One shell script, one event. You wire and maintain it yourself. |
| Terminal bell | Rings when the CLI stops, if the bell is on. | Fires once. Says something wants you, not which session. |
| AgentNotch | Keeps each Codex session's status in the menu bar, Desktop or CLI. | Flags the one that needs you; macOS only. |
Questions
- How do I get a notification when Codex finishes a task?
- The Codex CLI can run a command of your choosing when a task ends, so you can point it at a macOS banner with osascript or terminal-notifier. That covers one session; a menu-bar monitor like AgentNotch shows every session's status at once, including the one waiting on you.
- Can I get notified when Codex needs permission?
- Yes. Codex pauses and shows the request in its window, and AgentNotch flags that session in the menu bar as waiting on approval so the pause does not sit unnoticed while you work in another app.
- Does this work for Codex Desktop as well as the CLI?
- AgentNotch reads Codex sessions in both the Desktop app and the CLI and shows them the same way. Shell-based notification hooks only cover the CLI.
- Why does a Codex notification stop being enough?
- A notification fires once and disappears. With one session that is fine; with three, you get pings that do not say which session sent them, so you still switch windows to find out.
Keep reading
See which agent needs you.
Try AgentNotchfree for 14 days, no card. Watch Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex from your Mac's menu bar.
Updated 2026-07-18