OpenAI restores chat access in ChatGPT for Mac

OpenAI has updated its recently overhauled ChatGPT app for Mac, reversing one of the biggest complaints about the redesign: basic chat access is easy to find again.

Last Thursday, OpenAI rolled out a new Mac app that combined ChatGPT, Codex, and the newly announced Work agent, while renaming the previous app ChatGPT Classic. The change drew immediate backlash for two reasons. The new app replaced the earlier native Mac client with a much larger Electron-based app, and its interface pushed standard ChatGPT use into the background.

In the first version of the redesign, a prominent drop-down focused on switching between Codex and Work, while the normal Chat experience was tucked behind a smaller button. That button opened a floating window without access to users' existing conversation history or Projects.

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Users quickly complained on OpenAI’s Community forums and on X. The next day, Thibault “Tibo” Sottiaux, who has been leading OpenAI’s effort to merge ChatGPT and Codex into a unified “super app,” said the company would restore chats and Projects to the sidebar, make the difference between ChatGPT Work and Codex clearer, and fix other usability issues.

OpenAI has now shipped those changes. Users can switch between Chat and Work with a prominent toggle at the top of the window, while a sidebar drop-down menu now lets them choose between regular ChatGPT and Codex.

9to5Mac says the app is still confusing overall, but users who simply want to open ChatGPT and chat can now do so much more like before. The publication argues the troubled rollout — along with the switch to Electron — suggests OpenAI is prioritizing competition with Anthropic over a more polished Mac experience.