OpenAI is reinstating GPT-4o as a default option for all paying users, including those subscribed to ChatGPT Plus ($20 per month), Pro ($200 per month), Team ($30 per month), Enterprise, or Edu tiers, without the need to toggle a “show legacy models” setting.
Subscribers will also have a new “Show additional models” setting enabled by default, restoring access to GPT-4.1, o3, and o4-mini, the latter two of which are reasoning-focused LLMs.
OpenAI CEO and co-founder Sam Altman announced the change on X, promising to give “plenty of notice” if GPT-4o is ever removed in the future.
The models are accessible from the “picker” menu at the top of the ChatGPT session screen on web, mobile, and other apps.
The reversal follows a turbulent first week for GPT-5, launched on August 7 in four variants — regular, mini, nano, and pro — with optional “thinking” modes for more reasoning-intensive tasks. GPT-5’s launch faced mixed reviews and infrastructure issues, including a broken “autoswitcher,” performance inconsistencies compared to GPT-4o, and user frustration over the removal of older models.
Altman’s latest update introduces new controls to the ChatGPT interface, allowing users to choose between “Auto,” “Fast,” and “Thinking” modes for GPT-5.
The “Thinking” mode now has a 3,000 messages-per-week cap for paying subscribers, after which they can use the lighter “GPT-5 Thinking mini” mode. Altman noted the limits could change based on usage trends.
GPT-4.5 remains exclusive to Pro users due to its high GPU costs.
Altman also hinted at a future change: a personality tweak for GPT-5 intended to be “warmer” but less polarizing than GPT-4o’s tone. The company is considering per-user customization to address the strong emotional connections users may have with specific models.
These changes aim to ease the concerns of users frustrated by the sudden shift to GPT-5 and the deprecation of older LLMs, although it could also continue to fuel intense emotional attachments to these models.