OpenAI is retiring the ChatGPT Classic app on January 30, 2027, according to a message now shown to users when they open the app. The banner reads that the app will retire on that date and directs users to download the latest version of the desktop app, promising that full chat history comes with them so they can pick up where they left off. Clicking the banner leads users to the ChatGPT downloads page.
The retirement follows OpenAI's release of a new desktop app that brought ChatGPT, Work, and Codex under a single interface, after which the regular app was renamed ChatGPT Classic. The move proved controversial because OpenAI replaced the native macOS app with an Electron-based version and made the new interface confusing. The classic version remained largely untouched and became less reliable as OpenAI released models more tightly integrated with features exclusive to the new app, such as selecting different reasoning effort levels.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is beginning to test a combined Chat and Work experience in the coming weeks, starting with a small group of users. The move comes months after president Greg Brockman acknowledged the new interface was "kind of a mess." Codex will remain a separate experience, and OpenAI plans to introduce a shared usage allowance for ChatGPT and Codex, replacing their separate limits.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing