Make Codex CLI ding when it needs your approval or a response

Why Codex doesn't ding when it needs a response

The Codex TUI has notifications built in, and they are on by default. Codex sends one when a turn ends, when it asks to run a command or edit files, when an MCP server asks for approval, and when a Plan mode prompt or a question is waiting for your answer. Two defaults decide whether you notice:

• Only while the terminal is unfocused. notification_condition defaults to unfocused, so nothing fires while the Codex window is in front.
• Banner or bell depends on the terminal. notification_method defaults to auto: an OSC 9 desktop notification in terminals Codex knows support it, and the terminal bell (BEL) everywhere else.

Ding when Codex needs approval, even in the foreground

Put this in ~/.codex/config.toml. The list limits notifications to the ones that wait on you, bel forces the terminal bell, and always drops the unfocused-only rule:

[tui]
notifications = ["approval-requested", "plan-mode-prompt", "async-question"]
notification_method = "bel"
notification_condition = "always"

Play a sound file when Codex needs approval: a hook

The bell is only as loud as your terminal makes it. For a sound file, use Codex hooks: PermissionRequest runs when Codex is about to ask for approval, and only then, and Stop runs when the turn ends. Add this to ~/.codex/hooks.json to hear Glass when Codex finishes and Ping when it needs you on macOS. The commandWindows override plays Windows sounds instead:

{
  "hooks": {
    "Stop": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Glass.aiff",
            "commandWindows": "powershell.exe -NoProfile -Command \"(New-Object Media.SoundPlayer 'C:\\Windows\\Media\\chimes.wav').PlaySync()\"",
            "async": true
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "PermissionRequest": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "afplay /System/Library/Sounds/Ping.aiff",
            "commandWindows": "powershell.exe -NoProfile -Command \"(New-Object Media.SoundPlayer 'C:\\Windows\\Media\\notify.wav').PlaySync()\"",
            "async": true
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

• "async": true tells Codex not to wait for the sound. Without it, Codex holds the approval prompt until the hook exits.
• On Linux, change each command to paplay with a freedesktop sound from /usr/share/sounds/freedesktop/stereo/, such as complete.oga for Stop and message-new-instant.oga for approvals. It needs PulseAudio or PipeWire.
• Codex skips new or changed hooks until you trust them. Open /hooks in Codex to review and trust these two; Codex warns at startup when hooks are waiting for review.
• Hooks are on by default in current Codex releases. If you turned them off, set hooks = true under [features] in config.toml.
• Sound players print nothing, and Codex treats a hook that exits 0 with no output as a success, so the hook never changes what Codex does.

Why notify can't ding on approvals

The notify setting runs your own program, but Codex currently sends it only one event, agent-turn-complete. It never fires for an approval prompt. Codex also ignores notify in a project's .codex/config.toml, so set it in ~/.codex/config.toml. Use it for a finished-turn sound or webhook, and one of the options above for approvals. The Codex CLI notifications guide covers notify as a desktop or phone alert.

Sounds and phone alerts with anotifier

npx anotifier@latest setup

anotifier registers Codex's Stop and PermissionRequest hooks for you and sends each event to your desktop and, if you set it up, your phone. An approval request arrives as an urgent needs-input alert with the Reminder sound (Ping on macOS). A finished turn plays IM (Glass on macOS). Change either with toastSound:

{
  "events": {
    "task_complete": {
      "toastSound": "Hero"
    },
    "needs_input": {
      "toastSound": "Sosumi"
    }
  }
}

anotifier also rings the terminal bell by default. If Codex's own [tui] bell fires too, you may hear two; turn one off with terminalBellEnabled: false in anotifier or notifications = false under [tui]. The Claude Code sound guide lists every sound name per platform; they are the same for Codex.

Try it

One command wires every agent you have installed: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, and Gemini CLI.

npx anotifier@latest setup

Other guides

Claude CodeCodex CLICursorGemini CLIClaude Code permissionsClaude Code soundsClaude Code usage limitsClaude Code auto-compactClaude Code hooks securityccnotifyAntigravity CLIWindows & WSLmacOS & LinuxAgent hooksTroubleshootingntfy phone pushWSL Windows toast