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Windows: Ctrl+M voice dictation shortcut can minimize window or trigger global hotkey conflicts #14549
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From ��About Codex�� dialog)?
Unknown
What subscription do you have?
Unknown
What platform is your computer?
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64 (Windows 11 on Lenovo hardware)
What issue are you seeing?
On Windows 11, using the Codex App voice dictation shortcut by holding Ctrl+M can conflict with system or OEM-level hotkeys. In my case, holding Ctrl+M to start dictation causes the Codex window to minimize. Outside Codex, the same key combination also triggers unexpected global behavior (for example, Notepad can bring up Copilot, and other apps may minimize), which suggests the shortcut conflicts with existing Windows/OEM integrations.
This makes the advertised Ctrl+M dictation shortcut unreliable on some Windows machines, especially OEM laptops/desktops with preinstalled hotkey utilities.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- Use the Codex App on Windows 11.
- Focus the message composer.
- Hold Ctrl+M to activate voice dictation, as indicated by the UI.
- Observe that instead of only starting dictation, the window may minimize or another global shortcut action may fire.
Additional context:
- Hardware vendor: Lenovo
- The same Ctrl+M combination also shows unexpected behavior in other apps, which suggests a global shortcut conflict rather than a Codex-only input issue.
- Even if the root cause is an OS/OEM conflict, the current default shortcut appears fragile on Windows because it is not user-remappable.
What is the expected behavior?
Holding Ctrl+M in the Codex App should reliably start voice dictation without minimizing the window or triggering unrelated global shortcuts.
Ideally, the Windows app should either:
- use a safer default shortcut,
- avoid requiring a long-held shortcut that is prone to OS/OEM interception, or
- allow users to customize the dictation shortcut.
Additional information
I did not include an app version because it was not available at report time.
Activity
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 15, 2026
+1 Same issue here.
My environment:
Codex ver. 26.306.996.0 (latest)
on Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0 x64.
(I couldn't find the “About Codex” dialog in the app, so I checked the version using the CLI:
winget list Codex)My Windows installation is not an OEM build, and I’m not aware of any global hook assigned to Ctrl+M.
I’m using a Japanese Windows environment. I normally use Microsoft Japanese IME, but the same behavior occurs even when IME is turned off. Pressing and holding Ctrl+M minimizes the Codex window instead of starting voice input.
The Windows version is still quite new, but I wonder if other Windows users are seeing the same issue.
Anyone else seeing this on Windows?
I’m really looking forward to using keyboard push-to-talk voice input! Hope this can be fixed SOON!
If the app was also open source, I’d probably try fixing it myself....
wyxos commentedon Mar 15, 2026
Just encountered this issue as well. Was about to look for a way to remove the binding to minimize and keep the one in Codex, but ideally it'd be better if Codex allow to remap this. I forgot what's the shortcut on Mac, I think it's just hold right command key or something.
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 16, 2026
I updated to Codex ver. 26.311.21342 (latest as of March 17, 2026), on Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0 x64, but the issue still reproduces.
Holding Ctrl+M never starts voice input for me. It minimizes the window instead.
This does not happen in standard Windows apps such as Notepad.
But I also saw the same Ctrl+M minimize behavior in Bitwarden, which is an Electron app. Codex also appears to be built on Electron, so that would make this explanation more plausible.
If this is a default behavior in Electron apps, I think Codex needs to either handle it explicitly or switch to a different key binding.
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 16, 2026
To everyone following this issue:
if you are seeing the same problem, please add a thumbs-up👍 to help bring it to the OpenAI team's attention.
They have said that issues with more thumbs-up are more likely to be prioritized.
(I want to use push-to-talk voice input soon).
If you are seeing this on non-Windows systems or in other environments, codex versions, please share your setup too. That would help clarify whether this is Windows-specific or something more general.
wyxos commentedon Mar 16, 2026
I realized mine was out of date when I saw the differences between the latest Mac version and the Windows version, but didn't give it much thought thinking it might be OS difference.
Since you mentioned the version, I went to check and mine was behind. Nevertheless the issue persists with CTRL + M after installing the latest version. But this also had me realize that the Windows app does not have
as the mac version does?
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 17, 2026
@juptier
I think the version number is required for OpenAI staff to reproduce the issue.
Please edit to provide it.
The text appears garbled and may not be correctly parsed for issue classification. It should read:
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
juptier commentedon Mar 17, 2026
Codex ver. 26.313.41514 (latest), the issue still persists.
nickhod commentedon Mar 19, 2026
This is a pretty annyoing issue and blocks use of the push-to-talk feature. The shortcut should be configurable.
wyxos commentedon Mar 19, 2026
Just realized two days ago that this is also the same on Mac, it's ^ + M and triggers minimize.
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 21, 2026
@nickhod
Are you using Windows in an English environment? Does the issue also occur under an English system locale, too?
nickhod commentedon Mar 21, 2026
@kt-devoss Yes, EN-GB locale here.
I tried it with another app I know is Electron and it minimises. Seems like it's an weird Electron default that developers have disable specifically.
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 22, 2026
@nickhod Thanks for info.
First, I thought it might be specific to Asian language environments (e.g., key event interception by a Japanese IME(Input Method Editor) system), because input and language handling there can be more complex and is sometimes overlooked, partly due to the lack of proper testing environments. But it seems to happen in English too.
I wonder why OpenAI released it as-is...
I think shortcut should be configurable, too. When fixing this bug, it would be great if they could address that as well.
Even if the workaround is simply to remap it to a different key, it would be ideal for OpenAI to choose one that is less likely to conflict with other inputs, including global hooks and IME-related keys.
I hope it becomes usable soon.
kt-devoss commentedon Mar 22, 2026
@juptier
Could you also update the original issue description? Only the author can edit it via “...” → Edit.
In my experience, issues that lack sufficient detail tend to be overlooked or receive less attention.
wyxos commentedon Mar 24, 2026
Is this fixed? It appears to be working without minimizing on Windows and Mac. What's concerning though is I haven't updated any of the two since 3-4 days. Does the app auto update in the background/between re-launch?
Holding CTRL + M will start and releasing will stop. Pressing CTRL + M once will start and pressing it again will stop. Tested on both Windows and Mac.
wyxos commentedon Mar 24, 2026
I was wrong on Windows, I am not sure if it worked for a moment due to holding it enough to turn it on, but not long enough to minimize, but it's minimizing again.
skissele commentedon Apr 20, 2026
Ctrl + M still minimizes the Codex app on my machine. As a workaround, I found that Win + H works for dictation.
kt-devoss commentedon Apr 25, 2026
This issue seems to be resolved (Version 26.422.30944, 2026-04-26).
How is it in your environment?
Written by Tibo:
Although the instability is a concern, it seems that the dictation function with reassignable keys is now available.
Because it's a global hotkey, it can be used for input in any app, not just the Codex App.
This is even better than expected!
I want to thank the Codex team for their great work!
Thank you!!