- OpenAI has brought big changes to the ChatGPT desktop app
- ChatGPT and Codex have been merged into a single application
- Users are not happy with many of the new updates.
OpenAI has been running its Codex Vibe coding platform as a separate tool from the regular ChatGPT app for a while now, but that all changed with the latest update to the AI app. The two products have been merged into one ‘super app’, but many users are deeply disappointed with the move.
If you download ChatGPT today, or upgrade an existing installation, you’ll find an app that looks very different than what you’re used to, which could be particularly disorienting if you’ve used the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for some time.
For example, you will now find a new switch in the top left corner of the app that will allow you to switch between ‘ChatGPT Work’ and ‘ChatGPT Codex’. Instead of containing buttons for your library, projects, and apps, the left sidebar now houses scheduled tasks and plugins. Projects and tasks are located below in their own sections.
What used to be the ChatGPT app still exists, but was renamed ChatGPT Classic. Meanwhile, the standalone Codex app has become the main ChatGPT app. Both ChatGPT Work and ChatGPT Codex share plugins, and while both are capable of performing similar tasks, Codex shows more technical details that Work hides in an attempt to be easier to use.
An unpopular measure
Unfortunately for OpenAI, this important change has not been received very well. Apple insider John Gruber, for example, a fan of OpenAI’s decision to make ChatGPT a native Mac app that conforms to macOS conventions, described the change as “the day OpenAI screwed up the ChatGPT Mac app.” He also noted that while the old ChatGPT app weighed in at 159MB, the new edition has ballooned to 1.5GB.
I’m certainly not a fan of the new ChatGPT either. I have little interest in Codex and use ChatGPT to solve problems, often revisiting old conversations to add new details. However, in the new app, your recent conversations are hidden and require many more clicks to access. Only your five most recent threads are shown, and to access more, you must click Chat > See All to discover them. Previously, they were there waiting for you in the sidebar.
Also, my current projects seem to have completely disappeared. I only had a couple, but they were related to a small claims case I was involved in, so seeing all my relevant threads scattered and disorganized into a long list of chats is a huge pain. For anyone juggling a large number of projects, this change could be disastrous. What’s more, custom GPTs also seem to have faded into the ether.
I know I am not alone in my disappointment. On Reddit, OpenAI’s decision hasn’t been received well, with user powprodukt summing up the mood by saying: “ChatGPT projects and custom GPTs are the reason I use that app. Without these features there is no feature parity.”
Other users took issue with the new UI, with Kaotic987 exclaiming, “Christ almighty, this is so bad!” Meanwhile, Eriane cynically suggested that OpenAI “coded everything without testing it.”
Whether you’ll even get ChatGPT Classic seems to be up for debate. It is available for Windows in the Microsoft Store and can be downloaded separately from the new ChatGPT app. On macOS, however, I updated to the new edition and ChatGPT Classic is nowhere to be found. Fortunately, I backed up the old app before updating it, so I can still access it, which might be the way to go if you’re a Mac user and don’t want to lose all your custom projects and GPT.
The decision to combine ChatGPT and Codex into a ‘super app’ form has already alienated many users, myself included. From the questionable UI to the lack of custom projects and GPTs, OpenAI has a lot to work on before the app is back in a good place.
