OpenAI introduces Computer History for ChatGPT on macOS
OpenAI has introduced Computer History for the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS. The optional feature lets ChatGPT and Codex use selected activity from apps and websites as context, so users can continue recent work without reconstructing every step. OpenAI added the feature to its release notes in August 2026 and describes it as a rebuilt successor to the Chronicle research preview.
Computer History does not record screenshots, screen recordings, microphone input or system audio. Instead, it records interaction events and turns them into a timeline and memories that the assistants can reference. A user could ask what they were working on before a break, locate a recent document or conversation, or identify a repeated workflow that could become a skill or automation. The feature is intended to reduce repeated explanations, not to archive every visual detail of a computer session.
The privacy controls are central. Computer History is off by default. Users choose which apps and websites contribute, can pause collection from the macOS menu bar, and can inspect or delete timeline items. History begins only after activation. Business and Enterprise administrators must explicitly grant access before members can opt in. The documentation also says the feature requires ChatGPT Memory and is not available through an API key or Amazon Bedrock.
The launch is not global. Computer History is currently unavailable in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. That makes the release more of a signal for users in those regions than an immediately usable update. It also gives organisations time to consider how activity metadata fits their privacy, employment and security policies before the feature arrives.
The importance goes beyond a new convenience function. ChatGPT is moving from remembering conversations to understanding the work around those conversations. That could make an assistant more useful for research, coding and repetitive office tasks, because the relevant context may be found instead of manually copied. It also creates a new boundary between helpful continuity and workplace surveillance. Interaction events can reveal projects, habits and priorities even when no screen image is stored. Users and administrators should therefore treat Computer History as a permissioned data source: enable it only for a clear purpose, review the included apps and sites, and delete history when it no longer needs to be retained.