Back to rankings

Codex CLI: Voice Conversations Now On by Default

CodexView original changelog

Codex CLI 0.156.0 turned on spoken conversations by default, five days after the feature first shipped as an opt-in experiment. Developers can now start or stop talking to Codex with a single F8 press, choose a voice through the new /voice settings picker, and rely on audio that finally works out of the box on Linux and Windows, platforms that previously lacked bundled audio runtimes entirely. The change turns what was a narrow, /experimental-menu feature into a default capability available to every CLI user.

Key Takeaways

  • Voice conversations moved from opt-in experimental to on by default just five days after their initial Sep 17 launch.
  • A single F8 keypress now starts or stops a spoken conversation, replacing the earlier experimental-menu toggle.
  • Linux and Windows finally get bundled audio runtimes, closing a gap that limited the original experimental release to effectively macOS-only testing.
  • A new /voice settings command lets developers choose which voice Codex uses.
  • The change shipped inside CLI 0.156.0, the same release that added fullscreen terminal UI and default worktree sessions.
  • Because voice is now default-on, a much larger share of Codex CLI's user base is likely to discover the feature for the first time with this release.

Voice Conversations Graduate From Experimental to Default

Just five days after Codex CLI 0.155.0 introduced experimental voice conversations tucked behind an /experimental menu, version 0.156.0 (September 22, 2026) flipped the feature on by default for everyone. What began as an opt-in test of talking to Codex directly in the terminal is now a standard part of the CLI experience.

A Simpler Way In

The defining change is accessibility. Instead of digging through an experimental settings menu, developers can now start or stop a spoken conversation with a single press of the F8 key. A new /voice settings command lets a developer pick which voice Codex uses, matching the kind of voice customization ChatGPT users already have.

Audio Finally Works Everywhere

Perhaps the more consequential change is under the hood: this release bundles audio runtimes for Linux and Windows, platforms that had no audio support at all when voice conversations first shipped as an experiment. That gap meant Linux and Windows developers could not meaningfully test the earlier release even if they opted in. With runtimes now bundled directly into the CLI installation, voice conversations work out of the box across all three major desktop platforms.

What This Unlocks

Talking through a task rather than typing it can be faster for developers who want to describe a bug, sketch a plan, or walk through a code review verbally while Codex works in the background. Because the feature is now default-on rather than buried in an experimental menu, far more of the CLI's user base is likely to encounter and try it for the first time with this release.