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Support2026/07/17

How to Reset or Remove a Codex Theme

Return Codex to a built-in appearance and distinguish a native theme reset from the restore procedure required by an external Skin engine.

A violet custom swatch returning to a clean ivory baseline

Quick answer

For a native theme, open Codex Settings, return to Appearance, and select a built-in base theme. For an external Skin engine, follow that project's Restore instructions before installing or starting another engine.

This distinction was reviewed on Codex App build 26.707.72221 on macOS on July 17, 2026.

First identify what changed

A native theme was imported as an appearance share string and does not require terminal commands. A Skin tool may run a local process, use loopback CDP, manage a wallpaper, or install menu-bar or tray helpers. Resetting the base theme does not necessarily stop that external process.

Reset a native theme

  1. Open Settings > Appearance.
  2. Select a built-in light or dark theme.
  3. Restore preferred UI and code fonts if they were part of the custom theme.
  4. Restart Codex.
  5. Verify text, code, diffs, and selected states.

If a custom share string no longer imports after an update, do not repeatedly edit its JSON. Restore a built-in theme and look for a version-matched export.

Restore an external Skin

Open the exact source repository and source ref you installed. Run its documented Restore command. Confirm the external process has stopped, the official appearance has returned, and any debugging port is closed. Only then evaluate another engine.

The Skin directory records source refs, known issues, and license status. It never mirrors packages. If the repository is unavailable, do not rely on copied commands from an unverified third party.

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