Codex and 2FA: let the agent ask you for the code

Q: Can it read the code from my Gmail instead of asking me?

If the Gmail tab is already open in the same Chrome, yes: browser_switch_tab to it, read the code, switch back. That is a different flow and it works, but it needs your mail to be in that browser.

The problem in one line: your agent gets to the two-factor prompt and there is nothing it can do, because the code is on your phone.

Most browser automation answers this by asking you to hand over credentials, wire up an API, or store a TOTP secret in a config file. Browser MCP answers it by asking you.

What it looks like

You:    Log into the admin dashboard and export last month's invoices.

Codex:  [navigates, fills the login form]
        The site is asking for a 2FA code.

        ┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
        │  Enter the 6-digit code from your app    │
        │  [______]                                │
        └─────────────────────────────────────────┘

You:    418293

Codex:  [continues in the same tab, exports the file]
        Done - invoices-2026-08.csv is in your Downloads.

The tool behind that pause is browser_ask_user. It stops the run, shows you a prompt on your own screen, waits, and carries on in the tab that was already signed in. No credential ever leaves your machine, because none was needed.

Setting it up

Two halves, both required:

1 - The Chrome extension. One click from the Chrome Web Store.

2 - The MCP server, registered with Codex:

codex mcp add browser-mcp -- npx @agent360/browser-mcp@latest

Restart your Codex session. Full walkthrough: Install for Codex.

Two things to know before you rely on it

The tab has to be the one in front. Chrome does not deliver keystrokes to a tab you are not looking at - it accepts the command and drops it. Since 1.29.2 the tools tell you that instead of pretending it worked, and the fix is browser_switch_tab. We measured whether giving the session its own window would remove the problem: it does not. What matters is whether the window has focus, not whether the tab is visible in it.

The code is still yours to read. We do not read your phone, your authenticator or your SMS. The agent asks; you answer. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why it works on sites that would block anything more automated.

Where this beats the alternatives

	Browser MCP	Headless automation	Storing a TOTP secret
Needs your credentials	No	Yes	Yes
Works on a site that blocks automation	Yes - it is your session	Often not	Yes
Survives the site changing its login	Yes	No	Usually
You stay in control of the code	Yes	-	No

Frequently asked questions

Does it work with SMS codes too? Yes. The tool does not care where the code came from - it asks, you type.

Can it read the code from my Gmail instead of asking me? If the Gmail tab is already open in the same Chrome, yes: browser_switch_tab to it, read the code, switch back. That is a different flow and it works, but it needs your mail to be in that browser.

What if I am not at my desk when it asks? It waits. There is a timeout, and when it expires the tool says so rather than guessing.

Which other clients does this work with? All of them - the tool is the same. Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Cline, Gemini CLI, Zed, Kiro, Continue.dev.