Browser plugin bypasses usage limit, works even when limit is reached latest version broke, reverted to older version

[xsourabhsharma]

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

v26.429.2026.0 (reverted to this older version after the latest update broke Codex completely)

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

Windows 11 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Hi, I'm reporting an issue with the Codex browser plugin and usage limits. Here's what's happening:

Problem 1: Browser plugin ignores usage limit
When I use the browser plugin while chatting with Codex, it keeps working even after my usage limit is reached. However, if I don't use the plugin, Codex correctly shows that my limit is over. This seems like a bug where the browser plugin is bypassing the usage restriction.

Problem 2: Latest version broke Codex entirely
After installing the latest version of Codex, the app stopped working for me completely. I then installed an older version (v26.429.2026.0) from a third-party website, and after that it started working again - but only when using the browser plugin.

Question: Is there a separate bucket limit or special restriction for the browser plugin? It feels like the plugin and the main app have different limit tracking, and the latest update may have introduced a regression.

I'm on the Plus subscription using Windows 11 x64. Let me know if you need any additional details or logs.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Open Codex and start a chat session.
2. Use the browser plugin to perform web searches or browsing actions.
3. Continue using the browser plugin until your usage limit is reached.
4. Observe that the browser plugin continues to work even after the limit is reached.
5. Now try using Codex without the browser plugin - it correctly shows that the limit is over.

Additionally, on the latest version:

1. Update Codex to the latest version.
2. Try to use the browser plugin - it stops working entirely.
3. Revert to older version v26.429.2026.0 from a third-party source.
4. Browser plugin starts working again, but the usage limit bypass issue persists.

What is the expected behavior?

1. The browser plugin should respect the same usage limit as the main Codex app. Once the limit is reached, it should display the same "limit reached" message and stop functioning, just like the non-plugin experience does.
2. The browser plugin should not have a separate or different limit tracking mechanism from the main app - they should be unified.
3. Updating to the latest version of Codex should not break the browser plugin's functionality. The app should work consistently across versions.

Additional information

The latest version of Codex (the one released after v26.429.2026.0) completely broke the browser plugin for me - it wouldn't function at all. After reverting to the older version from a third-party website, the plugin works again but exhibits the limit bypass issue.

I'm curious if there is a separate usage bucket or rate limit specifically for the browser plugin. The behavior strongly suggests that the plugin and the main app track usage independently, which shouldn't be the case.

Happy to provide logs, screenshots, or session IDs if needed.

[github-actions]

Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.

• Windows 11 Codex Desktop: Browser Use works on localhost but fails for external URLs with “failed to start codex app-server” #20872
• Browser Use can list in-app tabs, but external navigation fails with failed to start codex app-server #19314
• After upgrading Codex Desktop today, two Codex local runtime features are broken. #19570

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[xsourabhsharma]

Thanks for the bot suggestions! I've reviewed all three linked issues and they don't match my problem:

• Windows 11 Codex Desktop: Browser Use works on localhost but fails for external URLs with “failed to start codex app-server” #20872 is about browser use failing for external URLs with an app-server error not related to usage limits.
• Browser Use can list in-app tabs, but external navigation fails with failed to start codex app-server #19314 is about external navigation failing with an app-server error not related to usage limits.
• After upgrading Codex Desktop today, two Codex local runtime features are broken. #19570 is about runtime features breaking after an upgrade while it mentions things breaking after an upgrade, the core issue (browser plugin bypassing usage limits) is not covered.

My issue is specifically about the browser plugin ignoring the usage/limit restriction it keeps working after my limit is reached, whereas the non-plugin experience correctly shows the limit has been exceeded. This seems like a separate bug that hasn't been reported yet. Would appreciate if the maintainers could take a look!