parallelquant
August 16, 2026 · The Verge

ChatGPT's new Computer History feature tracks your clicks and keystrokes

OpenAI added a Computer History feature to ChatGPT's macOS desktop app that records user actions to build a timeline, which ChatGPT and Codex can reference to suggest automations or pick up half-finished tasks. The feature is opt-in, lets users exclude specific apps or sites, and automatically ignores private/incognito browser tabs.

Why it matters: This pushes ChatGPT further from a chat interface toward an ambient assistant that continuously observes computer use, echoing the direction other agentic desktop tools are heading. The opt-in design and exclusion controls suggest OpenAI is trying to get ahead of the privacy concerns that always-on activity tracking invites.

Related updates