Connect an agent

Codex app

Follow Codex desktop activity through a local session observer.
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Heard follows the Codex desktop app through local session activity on the same Mac. This is a local observer path, not the Codex CLI hook.

Two ways to run Heard

Heard is one engine with two distributions. The downloadable macOS app is the official managed build: sign in and it works, with premium voices and managed narration on Pro and the full voice-input suite on Power. The open source engine (github.com/heardlabs/heard, Apache 2.0) is free forever: clone or fork it and run it yourself with a local voice or your own provider keys. Dictation, spoken replies, ambient input, Heard Parrot, and iPhone pairing exist only in the app.

Managed app setup

1

Enable Codex in Heard

Open Heard and enable the Codex integration.

2

Keep both apps running

Leave Heard in the menu bar while you use the Codex app under the same macOS account.

3

Start a new Codex task

Send a message in a new task so Heard can observe fresh local session activity.

4

Verify the connection

Listen for a clearly attributed progress update, question, or result.

Open source setup

Terminal
$heard install codex-app

Keep Heard running while Codex writes local session activity. You do not need to run a separate development daemon.

If the Codex app stays quiet

  1. Confirm Heard and Codex run under the same macOS user.
  2. Confirm Codex is enabled in Heard.
  3. Send a new message so there is fresh local activity to observe.
  4. Verify the Mac output is audible and Heard is not paused.

See Privacy and data for the difference between local observation and optional hosted narration or speech.