- ChatGPT model selector has been moved directly to the prompt box
- Instant is faster, while Thinking is better for complex tasks
- Pro offers subscribers the most powerful ChatGPT option for more difficult workflows
OpenAI has just quietly updated the ChatGPT interface for all Plus, Pro, and Business plan users in a subtle way that makes it much easier to choose which version of its model you want to use: Snapshot, for quick results, or Thought, for a more considered response. But those aren’t your only options and there is a hidden setting, as we’ll explain.
Previously, these options were hidden in an obscure ‘ChatGPT’ menu at the top of the screen, which, frankly, not many people knew about. Now they’re right where you write your message and you can bet people will use the different options a lot more.
The new menu allows you to choose between Instant, Thinking and Configure. Here’s what you may not realize: the Snapshot option actually uses GPT-5.3, not the latest GPT-5.5. To use it, you must select Think.
Article continues below.
If you select Configure, you can specify exactly which model version you want to use, from older GPT models, up to 5.4, 5.2, and o3.
When to use Thinking and Instant
ChatGPT-5.5 Thinking is better for difficult tasks. It does a better job of keeping track of what you’ve already done. The way it delivers its results is also different. Sometimes it may show a brief preamble before beginning to reason. You can even add instructions while “thinking out loud” to adjust the final direction. You’ll also get a much more streamlined result, with cleaner formatting and less unnecessary header text, even if it takes a long time to get your response.
On the contrary, ChatGPT-5.3 Instant is much better at delivering fast results. This can be important if you’re like me, because if I have to wait more than 10 seconds for something on the Internet, I get distracted and start looking at something else, and before I know it, I forget what I was actually doing in the first place.
So if I had time and wanted a more complete answer to a complex question like: “Given the current state of the market, how long do you think RAM prices will remain high?”, I would use Thinking. If I wanted to know something simple, like “What is the average flight speed of a jumbo jet?”, I would use Instant.
In the Configure menu, you’ll also notice that there is an option for ChatGPT to automatically select which version of the model to use for you, depending on the complexity of your question.
The auto select switch is on by default, but there is also the ethical element to consider. Instant uses less processing power in an AI data center and therefore less water used for cooling. It’s a bit like running your dishwasher on Eco mode. While it’s probably better for the planet not to have a dishwasher, at least running it on Eco mode uses fewer natural resources.
The hidden environment that affects thinking time
You might think there’s not much to the model version selector, but there is a hidden setting worth knowing about.
If you move your cursor to Thinking in the menu and then place it over the option, you’ll notice that you can choose between Standard and Extended. This refers to the time ChatGPT will spend thinking about your question or suggestion.
So if you want to extract the maximum amount of processing power from ChatGPT, choose Extended here:
The last option in the Configure menu is Pro. This is the highest capacity GPT-5.5 option that ChatGPT currently offers. It’s for the toughest tasks and long-running workflows, and is only available to Pro subscribers.
Like Gemini
Of course, if you are a ChatGPT user with a Free or Go plan, nothing will have changed in your web interface; You will still have the old ‘ChatGPT’ menu visible at the top of the screen. The interface in the ChatGPT app version also does not change. It is unclear if this change will eventually be implemented in the interface of these different plans and platforms in the future.
It hasn’t escaped me that the new look ChatGPT has chosen is exactly the way Gemini does it. It’s interesting to see OpenAI change some of its interface to look more like Gemini.
Now that a model options selector has appeared in the exact same place in ChatGPT, instead of being hidden in an obscure location, you can bet it will be used a lot more and that will lead to better answers for everyone.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds.
The best laptops for all budgets
