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135: Complete Beginner's Guide to OpenAI’s Codex App
Get AI-Ready with Kyle’s 5-Day Challenge: https://aiwithkyle.com/join
Kyle’s AI Canon — Curated list of AI learning essentials: https://aiwithkyle.com/ai-canon
Subscribe and turn on notifications to catch the next live stream: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChlLglbHDASnoGkbjDeHnQg
This video is from the ‘AI with Kyle Live Stream’
First aired: 4 February 2026
Summary: I spent the morning walking through OpenAI's new Codex Mac app, which is essentially their AI coding tool wrapped in a chat interface rather than a traditional development environment. The big news is it's free for the next two months, even on free ChatGPT accounts, which makes it properly accessible for people who've never touched code before. I wanted to show the complete setup process because whilst tools like Lovable are still easier, they cost £25 a month—and Codex being free removes that barrier entirely.
The tutorial covers the awkward bits that trip people up: setting up GitHub (using the desktop app, not the terminal—much simpler), getting your project deployed so you can actually see what you're building, and the general workflow of chatting with the AI to build something functional. I built a pattern-tracking app that analyses your daily habits over time, nothing fancy but it demonstrates the process. It's not the most technical guide out there, but it's designed to get beginners past those initial stumbling blocks so they can start making things.
Watch full edited live stream: https://youtu.be/H9HoL70WdPQ
—— Time Stamps ——
00:00 Introduction: What is OpenAI Codex?
00:35 Why Codex is Flying Under the Radar
01:13 Free AI Coding: Lovable vs Antigravity vs Codex
02:17 Codex Interface: Chat-Based Coding
03:06 INSIDER: Codex FREE for 2 Months
03:47 Windows Users: Bad News
03:58 Demo App: Building a Pattern Finder
05:44 Starting Your First Codex Project
06:52 Plan Mode: Stop AI From Rushing
07:31 Describing Your App with Voice Input
10:03 Choosing Model Intelligence Levels
11:40 Feature Design: Binary vs Intensity Tracking
15:40 Tech Stack: React, Supabase & Firebase Explained
19:00 Gamification: Streaks, Badges & User Retention
21:34 Forcing Codex to Actually Build
22:45 Codex Automations vs Claude Bot
24:08 The Truth About "Scary" AI Bots
26:08 Running Multiple AI Agents Simultaneously
27:58 Deploying Your App: Beginner Guide
29:48 Understanding Local Host
30:01 First Look: The Working App
31:50 Debugging Crashes with Codex
35:05 GitHub Explained: Cloud Saves for Code
37:17 GitHub Desktop: The Easy Setup Method
40:48 AI Coding: Gateway to Real Development
41:55 Join AI With Kyle Community
—— More Useful Resources ——
Find everything else at https://aiwithkyle.com/
View all episodes
By Kyle BalmerGet AI-Ready with Kyle’s 5-Day Challenge: https://aiwithkyle.com/join
Kyle’s AI Canon — Curated list of AI learning essentials: https://aiwithkyle.com/ai-canon
Subscribe and turn on notifications to catch the next live stream: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChlLglbHDASnoGkbjDeHnQg
This video is from the ‘AI with Kyle Live Stream’
First aired: 4 February 2026
Summary: I spent the morning walking through OpenAI's new Codex Mac app, which is essentially their AI coding tool wrapped in a chat interface rather than a traditional development environment. The big news is it's free for the next two months, even on free ChatGPT accounts, which makes it properly accessible for people who've never touched code before. I wanted to show the complete setup process because whilst tools like Lovable are still easier, they cost £25 a month—and Codex being free removes that barrier entirely.
The tutorial covers the awkward bits that trip people up: setting up GitHub (using the desktop app, not the terminal—much simpler), getting your project deployed so you can actually see what you're building, and the general workflow of chatting with the AI to build something functional. I built a pattern-tracking app that analyses your daily habits over time, nothing fancy but it demonstrates the process. It's not the most technical guide out there, but it's designed to get beginners past those initial stumbling blocks so they can start making things.
Watch full edited live stream: https://youtu.be/H9HoL70WdPQ
—— Time Stamps ——
00:00 Introduction: What is OpenAI Codex?
00:35 Why Codex is Flying Under the Radar
01:13 Free AI Coding: Lovable vs Antigravity vs Codex
02:17 Codex Interface: Chat-Based Coding
03:06 INSIDER: Codex FREE for 2 Months
03:47 Windows Users: Bad News
03:58 Demo App: Building a Pattern Finder
05:44 Starting Your First Codex Project
06:52 Plan Mode: Stop AI From Rushing
07:31 Describing Your App with Voice Input
10:03 Choosing Model Intelligence Levels
11:40 Feature Design: Binary vs Intensity Tracking
15:40 Tech Stack: React, Supabase & Firebase Explained
19:00 Gamification: Streaks, Badges & User Retention
21:34 Forcing Codex to Actually Build
22:45 Codex Automations vs Claude Bot
24:08 The Truth About "Scary" AI Bots
26:08 Running Multiple AI Agents Simultaneously
27:58 Deploying Your App: Beginner Guide
29:48 Understanding Local Host
30:01 First Look: The Working App
31:50 Debugging Crashes with Codex
35:05 GitHub Explained: Cloud Saves for Code
37:17 GitHub Desktop: The Easy Setup Method
40:48 AI Coding: Gateway to Real Development
41:55 Join AI With Kyle Community
—— More Useful Resources ——
Find everything else at https://aiwithkyle.com/