ChatGPT launches Computer History to track Mac activity across apps

OpenAI on Thursday released Computer History, an opt-in feature in the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS that records user activity across apps and websites and converts it into a searchable timeline and memories that ChatGPT and Codex can reference in future conversations.9to5mac+1

How It Works

The feature, announced in OpenAI's product changelog on August 13, 2026, captures interaction events exposed through macOS accessibility features — clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts, and app switches — rather than screenshots or screen recordings. It replaces Chronicle, an earlier research preview that relied on screen captures.unite+1

Computer History is off by default and available to ChatGPT Pro, Business, and Enterprise users. In Business and Enterprise workspaces, an administrator must explicitly grant access before individual members can opt in. Initial availability excludes the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, with access in those regions expected in the coming weeks.9to5mac+1

Raw interaction events are stored temporarily on the Mac for up to 48 hours. OpenAI says those events are processed on its servers to generate memories but are not retained after processing or used for model training. The resulting plain-text Markdown memory files remain stored locally on the user's machine until deleted.unite+1

Privacy Controls and Risks

Users can choose which apps and websites contribute to their history, pause collection from the menu bar, and clear the last 10 minutes, hour, day, or all history. The feature does not capture screenshots, screen recordings, microphone input, system audio, or private browsing activity.unite+1

OpenAI's documentation warns that Computer History increases exposure to prompt injection — malicious content in apps or websites could embed instructions that ChatGPT or Codex might later follow. The company recommends pausing collection during communications with others who have not given express consent.9to5mac+1

Toward Automated Workflows

Beyond recall, the system can propose turning repeated workflows into reusable skills or scheduled automations that Codex builds from the recorded activity. "Once your agents understand what you do and how you work, it changes how you can engage with them," OpenAI's Dominik Kundel said in an announcement video, as reported by The New Stack.unite