OpenAI Announces Retirement of Classic ChatGPT Desktop App in January

On November 4, 2026, OpenAI began showing an in-app notification announcing that the classic ChatGPT desktop app will be retired on January 30, 2027. Starting on that date, all users still on the classic version will be required to upgrade in order to keep using it. OpenAI said it will no longer maintain the classic app over the long term. That version only offers chat and plugin-based content creation, with no Codex capabilities. Before this, OpenAI had kept the classic app available after consolidating its applications, allowing users who did not want to upgrade to keep using ChatGPT classic.

After moving to the new version, users' cloud chat history will remain with their accounts and can be carried over seamlessly. The new app bundles Codex and Work features, letting users invoke tool chains within the same interface. They can supply files or use plugins to have ChatGPT create presentation decks, build websites, or handle web tasks while viewing and steering the execution. Separately, OpenAI is planning to merge chat with ChatGPT Work to strengthen chat capabilities. Work carries some Codex functionality and can call tools, whereas plain chat does not invoke tool chains. ChatGPT Work was initially limited to a small set of users, and OpenAI intends to widen access based on user feedback. At this stage, OpenAI has only begun pushing the retirement notice inside the classic app, and the matter stands at users needing to upgrade early and get used to the new version.