fix(tui) turn timing incremental (#9599)

## Summary
When we send multiple assistant messages, reset the timer so "Worked for
2m 36s" is the time since the last time we showed the message, rather
than an ever-increasing number.

We could instead change the copy so it's more clearly a running counter.

## Testing
- [x] ran locally

<img width="903" height="732" alt="Screenshot 2026-01-21 at 1 42 51 AM"
src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/bb4d827b-3a0e-48ba-bd6a-d8cd65d8e892"
/>

codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs

@@ -488,6 +488,11 @@ pub(crate) struct ChatWidget {
     // This gates rendering of the "Worked for …" separator so purely conversational turns don't
     // show an empty divider. It is reset when the separator is emitted.
     had_work_activity: bool,
+    // Status-indicator elapsed seconds captured at the last emitted final-message separator.
+    //
+    // This lets the separator show per-chunk work time (since the previous separator) rather than
+    // the total task-running time reported by the status indicator.
+    last_separator_elapsed_secs: Option<u64>,
 
     last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell<Option<usize>>,
     // Feedback sink for /feedback
@@ -1542,7 +1547,8 @@ impl ChatWidget {
                 let elapsed_seconds = self
                     .bottom_pane
                     .status_widget()
-                    .map(super::status_indicator_widget::StatusIndicatorWidget::elapsed_seconds);
+                    .map(super::status_indicator_widget::StatusIndicatorWidget::elapsed_seconds)
+                    .map(|current| self.worked_elapsed_from(current));
                 self.add_to_history(history_cell::FinalMessageSeparator::new(elapsed_seconds));
                 self.needs_final_message_separator = false;
                 self.had_work_activity = false;
@@ -1562,6 +1568,17 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.request_redraw();
     }
 
+    fn worked_elapsed_from(&mut self, current_elapsed: u64) -> u64 {
+        let baseline = match self.last_separator_elapsed_secs {
+            Some(last) if current_elapsed < last => 0,
+            Some(last) => last,
+            None => 0,
+        };
+        let elapsed = current_elapsed.saturating_sub(baseline);
+        self.last_separator_elapsed_secs = Some(current_elapsed);
+        elapsed
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn handle_exec_end_now(&mut self, ev: ExecCommandEndEvent) {
         let running = self.running_commands.remove(&ev.call_id);
         if self.suppressed_exec_calls.remove(&ev.call_id) {
@@ -1906,6 +1923,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             pre_review_token_info: None,
             needs_final_message_separator: false,
             had_work_activity: false,
+            last_separator_elapsed_secs: None,
             last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
             feedback,
             current_rollout_path: None,
@@ -2022,6 +2040,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             pre_review_token_info: None,
             needs_final_message_separator: false,
             had_work_activity: false,
+            last_separator_elapsed_secs: None,
             last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
             feedback,
             current_rollout_path: None,

codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget/tests.rs

@@ -838,6 +838,7 @@ async fn make_chatwidget_manual(
         pre_review_token_info: None,
         needs_final_message_separator: false,
         had_work_activity: false,
+        last_separator_elapsed_secs: None,
         last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
         feedback: codex_feedback::CodexFeedback::new(),
         current_rollout_path: None,
@@ -868,6 +869,16 @@ fn set_chatgpt_auth(chat: &mut ChatWidget) {
     ));
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn worked_elapsed_from_resets_when_timer_restarts() {
+    let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(None).await;
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(5), 5);
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(9), 4);
+    // Simulate status timer resetting (e.g., status indicator recreated for a new task).
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(3), 3);
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(7), 4);
+}
+
 pub(crate) async fn make_chatwidget_manual_with_sender() -> (
     ChatWidget,
     AppEventSender,

codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget.rs

@@ -433,6 +433,11 @@ pub(crate) struct ChatWidget {
     // This gates rendering of the "Worked for …" separator so purely conversational turns don't
     // show an empty divider. It is reset when the separator is emitted.
     had_work_activity: bool,
+    // Status-indicator elapsed seconds captured at the last emitted final-message separator.
+    //
+    // This lets the separator show per-chunk work time (since the previous separator) rather than
+    // the total task-running time reported by the status indicator.
+    last_separator_elapsed_secs: Option<u64>,
 
     last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell<Option<usize>>,
     // Feedback sink for /feedback
@@ -1333,7 +1338,8 @@ impl ChatWidget {
                 let elapsed_seconds = self
                     .bottom_pane
                     .status_widget()
-                    .map(super::status_indicator_widget::StatusIndicatorWidget::elapsed_seconds);
+                    .map(super::status_indicator_widget::StatusIndicatorWidget::elapsed_seconds)
+                    .map(|current| self.worked_elapsed_from(current));
                 self.add_to_history(history_cell::FinalMessageSeparator::new(elapsed_seconds));
                 self.needs_final_message_separator = false;
                 self.had_work_activity = false;
@@ -1356,6 +1362,17 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         }
     }
 
+    fn worked_elapsed_from(&mut self, current_elapsed: u64) -> u64 {
+        let baseline = match self.last_separator_elapsed_secs {
+            Some(last) if current_elapsed < last => 0,
+            Some(last) => last,
+            None => 0,
+        };
+        let elapsed = current_elapsed.saturating_sub(baseline);
+        self.last_separator_elapsed_secs = Some(current_elapsed);
+        elapsed
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn handle_exec_end_now(&mut self, ev: ExecCommandEndEvent) {
         let running = self.running_commands.remove(&ev.call_id);
         if self.suppressed_exec_calls.remove(&ev.call_id) {
@@ -1691,6 +1708,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             pre_review_token_info: None,
             needs_final_message_separator: false,
             had_work_activity: false,
+            last_separator_elapsed_secs: None,
             last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
             feedback,
             current_rollout_path: None,
@@ -1805,6 +1823,7 @@ impl ChatWidget {
             pre_review_token_info: None,
             needs_final_message_separator: false,
             had_work_activity: false,
+            last_separator_elapsed_secs: None,
             last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
             feedback,
             current_rollout_path: None,

codex-rs/tui2/src/chatwidget/tests.rs

@@ -826,6 +826,7 @@ async fn make_chatwidget_manual(
         pre_review_token_info: None,
         needs_final_message_separator: false,
         had_work_activity: false,
+        last_separator_elapsed_secs: None,
         last_rendered_width: std::cell::Cell::new(None),
         feedback: codex_feedback::CodexFeedback::new(),
         current_rollout_path: None,
@@ -855,6 +856,16 @@ fn set_chatgpt_auth(chat: &mut ChatWidget) {
     ));
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn worked_elapsed_from_resets_when_timer_restarts() {
+    let (mut chat, _rx, _op_rx) = make_chatwidget_manual(None).await;
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(5), 5);
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(9), 4);
+    // Simulate status timer resetting (e.g., status indicator recreated for a new task).
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(3), 3);
+    assert_eq!(chat.worked_elapsed_from(7), 4);
+}
+
 pub(crate) async fn make_chatwidget_manual_with_sender() -> (
     ChatWidget,
     AppEventSender,