screenpipe × ChatGPT
Start in desktop Codex · phone access is optional
Use screenpipe in the ChatGPT desktop app.
Start with Codex inside the desktop app. Check your screenpipe connection, then ask about your work. No coding needed. Phone access is optional; it requires Screenpipe Business or higher and cloud-synced data.
Before you start on your computer
New to screenpipe? Follow the screenpipe installation and first-run guide, then return here. Already recording? Go straight to the connection check.
- screenpipe and the current ChatGPT desktop app on the same Mac or Windows computer.
- A ChatGPT account with access to Codex in the desktop app. No Screenpipe Business upgrade or Developer mode is needed for this local route.
Start here
Use your work context on your computer.
First, get one useful answer from the work screenpipe recorded. You do not need phone access or Business sync to complete this part.
Computer setup, part 1Check the connection
Check Codex in screenpipe.
This is the simplest documented local route in the ChatGPT desktop app. No connection URL, Developer mode, or extra sync sign-in is needed.
Open ChatGPT and choose Codex
Install the current ChatGPT desktop app and sign in. Choose Codex → New chat once on this computer.
If Codex is unavailable for your account or computer, this route is not available. Do not assume an ordinary ChatGPT chat has the same connection.
Look for the check mark
Open or restart screenpipe. Open Settings → Connections and look for a check mark next to Codex. In versions with an AI apps group, open Manage first.
If Codex has a check mark, leave the connection as it is. Do not disconnect it or add another connection.
If the check mark is missing, restart both apps and check again. If it is still missing, contact support before changing the connection settings.
The entry is named Codex, not ChatGPT. It sets up the local Codex connection, not your ChatGPT web account.
Check: The check mark confirms configuration. Use the search test below to check that your AI can retrieve context.
Start a new chat
Quit and reopen the ChatGPT desktop app. In Codex, start a new local chat on this computer, not a cloud task. Keep screenpipe running.
Try the first question below and review any permission request. If needed, check Settings → MCP servers for screenpipe.
Finish your computer setup
Ask your first question.
Make a test note
With screenpipe recording, type screenpipe setup check in a notes app and leave it visible for a moment. You can reuse your setup note. Keep private or confidential information out of the test.
Find the note in screenpipe’s Timeline before asking your AI. If it is missing, check the recording setup first.
Try this in a local Codex chat
Use screenpipe to find my ‘screenpipe setup check’ note. Show what it says and when it was recorded. If you cannot find it, tell me.
What to confirm
- Your note appears in screenpipe’s Timeline.
- The local Codex chat finds it and shows when it was recorded.
- This is Codex in the desktop app, not an automatic connection to ordinary ChatGPT chats.
- Desktop setup is complete. Mobile use is optional, but requires Screenpipe Business or higher and cloud-synced data.
Once this works, you’re ready to use screenpipe on your computer. Phone access below is optional. You can stop here.
Optional next step · Use your context on your phone
Take your work context with you.
Ask ChatGPT about work you’ve synced to your Screenpipe account. Your phone reads uploaded context, not your computer directly.
You can skip the local AI connection above if you only want mobile access. You still need screenpipe to record work on a computer and upload it with Data Sync.
Required for phone access: Screenpipe Business or higher + cloud Data Sync
Start with Business or higher.
With Screenpipe Business or higher, sync context from the computers you choose so a supported, connected AI can use it when you are away from your desk.
You do not need Data Sync or a Business upgrade for the same-computer connection. To use screenpipe context on your phone, Screenpipe Business or higher and cloud-synced data are required.
Screenpipe does not support a direct mobile connection to an online computer. Your AI app also needs a supported account and working connection; the plan and sync requirements alone do not verify that setup.
Turn on Data Sync
Bring together context from your computers.
You can skip the desktop AI connection above for this route. Mobile requests can use only cloud-synced data, not a direct connection to your computer. You still need screenpipe to record and upload the context first.
Check your Screenpipe plan
Mobile access requires Screenpipe Business or higher. Confirm the intended Screenpipe account and plan before enabling sync.
Your ChatGPT account and its connection permissions are separate requirements. A ChatGPT subscription does not replace the required Screenpipe plan.
Choose which computer to sync
If screenpipe is not installed yet, install it on the computer that will record your work and enable the required recording permissions. You do not need to set up the local Codex connection first.
In screenpipe, open Settings → Account → Data Sync. Confirm the intended account.
Sync uploads searchable screen text, audio transcripts, and related context, not just one answer. If you want to share this data, enable Data Sync and set a recognizable Device name.
Repeat on each computer you want included. Turning on Allow data sync on the website alone does not connect a computer.
Wait for your first upload
Create a test note titled screenpipe setup check (or add a new line if you already made it) after enabling sync. Leave it visible for a moment while recording runs. Older history is not automatically uploaded. Keep screenpipe recording and the computer online. Do not include private or confidential information.
Wait about five minutes, then close and reopen Account to refresh Synced devices. Check your Device name and last synced time.
Check: Your computer shows a recent successful sync.
Copy your connection link
On the Screenpipe website, sign in to the same account. In data sync, confirm Allow data sync is on.
Under Use data in your AI, select copy URL. You will paste it into your AI’s settings next. If access is unavailable, resolve that before continuing.
https://screenpipe.com/api/user/data-sync/mcp
Sources and technical details
Connect synced context to ChatGPT
Set up your ChatGPT website connection.
This is a different setup from the desktop route above: manually adding a connection on the ChatGPT website.
Allow custom connections
On the ChatGPT website, open Settings → Security and login → Developer mode. Turn it on if available.
Developer mode is the name of the setting to find, not something you need to learn to code. Your organization may restrict it.
Add your Screenpipe connection link
Open Plugins and select + to create an app. Name it screenpipe and paste the connection link from your Screenpipe account.
For the sign-in method, select OAuth. This menu label means signing in to Screenpipe and allowing access; you do not need to create an API key.
https://screenpipe.com/api/user/data-sync/mcpSign in, then try a search
In the window that opens, sign in to the Screenpipe account that receives your synced data. Review the request and allow access if you agree. If sign-in fails, stop and contact support.
Start a new chat. From +, choose Developer mode and screenpipe. Ask for the note you made after enabling sync.
Check: A real search returns your note and recorded time. Saving the link alone is not enough.
Sources and technical details
Check synced access on your phone
Synced context in an ordinary phone chat: not yet confirmed.
Screenpipe mobile access requires Business or higher and cloud-synced data. This does not establish that a custom web connection will appear in the ChatGPT phone app; that app-specific path still needs verification.
Only test after the website connection works
Update the official ChatGPT phone app and use the same account and workspace. In a new chat, check whether screenpipe is available among your apps or plugins.
If it is available, select it and ask for your synced test note. If it is missing or cannot search, stop and contact support about the supported mobile connection. Do not use a direct connection to an online computer as a workaround.
Check: Only a successful new search confirms this route, not an old answer appearing in chat history.
Sources and technical details
If something doesn’t work
Is this the same as an ordinary ChatGPT chat?
No. The first route uses Codex inside the ChatGPT desktop app. OpenAI documents its shared local connection settings. This does not prove that ordinary ChatGPT Chat or Work automatically gets the same tools. If you specifically want the website, see the separate synced-data option; that Screenpipe connection is still being verified.
Do I need Business or Developer mode to start?
Not for the same-computer Codex route. Your ChatGPT account needs access to Codex, but Screenpipe Business Data Sync and the website’s Developer mode are not required. Mobile use is different: Screenpipe Business or higher and cloud-synced data are required, along with a supported ChatGPT connection.
Why does screenpipe show Codex rather than ChatGPT?
Codex is the connection used by the local workspace in the ChatGPT desktop app. If it is connected, do not create a duplicate. Restart the desktop app and start a new local Codex chat. The ChatGPT sign-in option inside screenpipe is a different feature.
Is using ChatGPT inside screenpipe easier?
Yes, if you are happy to work in screenpipe’s own chat. Open its model selector, choose ChatGPT, then Sign in with ChatGPT and follow the prompts. This uses your ChatGPT subscription inside screenpipe; it does not connect ordinary ChatGPT chats to your history. The first desktop route above is for asking from the OpenAI app instead.
Can I connect by typing a prompt?
A prompt is enough to ask for a search after the connection is ready. It cannot install a missing app or grant access to an account. Check the connection once, then ask in normal language.
Can I use my phone without Screenpipe Business?
No. Screenpipe mobile access requires Screenpipe Business or higher and cloud-synced data. Screenpipe does not support a direct mobile connection to an online computer. Your ChatGPT account and connection access are separate requirements; a ChatGPT Business subscription does not replace the Screenpipe plan.
Can I use synced context after closing my laptop?
Mobile requests use the cloud-synced copy, not a live connection to your laptop. You need Screenpipe Business or higher and a working, supported AI connection. The ChatGPT sign-in and ordinary phone-chat route remain unverified here, so do not treat the plan requirement as confirmation that setup works. A sleeping computer cannot record or upload new activity.
My new note has not synced
Turn on Data Sync in screenpipe Settings → Account on the recording computer, not just on the website. Make a new note after enabling it. After about five minutes, close and reopen Account to refresh Synced devices and last synced. For mobile use, confirm your Screenpipe account has Business or higher; local-only history cannot be requested from your phone.
Is there an easier website connection than Developer mode?
Published apps can be installed from ChatGPT’s Plugins directory and connected by signing in. A current published Screenpipe app has not been confirmed, so this guide does not send you to one or promise a one-click website setup. Developer mode is only the separately described manual website route.
Sources & further reading
- OpenAI: local desktop connections(opens in a new tab)
- OpenAI: desktop app and Codex(opens in a new tab)
- Using ChatGPT inside screenpipe (a separate feature)(opens in a new tab)
- Privacy and data flow(opens in a new tab)
Local setup reviewed against screenpipe 2.7.27 and official OpenAI documentation. Screenpipe’s product review confirms Business or higher and cloud-synced data for mobile use. ChatGPT web sign-in and ordinary phone-chat access are not verified end to end.