This unification is garbage. Chats that are about topics other than programming projects are relegated to a tiny, unsearchable popup window. Renaming the old app "ChatGPT Classic" implies that it will be discontinued at some point. This is a serious regression. What existed before worked fine.
I would expect the mode switcher to include a Chat mode, which would recreate the old, chat-focused UI, for asking about random topics. So, that's basically gone now. Technically, it's hidden and severely castrated.
I hope someone from OpenAI reads this. You guys have made a serious design mistake. I suspect you'll be getting a lot of support requests along the lines of "Where did all my chats go?"
I noticed the same thing. In the app, normal “Chat” threads are only available via a “Checking recent chats” window, while projects, GPTs, library… are completely absent.
The web version of ChatGPT is confusing too. Now it has separate “Chat” and “Work” tabs (what about a Codex tab?), and it shifts the burden on the user to know when to use one or the other. Note that using the “Work” tab means using Codex usage limits [^1], but that’s hidden away in the settings.
Also, apparently “GPT-5.6 Terra and GPT-5.6 Luna are not selectable in standard ChatGPT conversations” [^2] — so if you want to use these models, you must go to the Work tab or download the app.
I don’t understand why there is so much fragmentation in what was supposed to be a unified app. The way that it is now, it’s far from intuitive.
[^1]: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001275-chatgpt-work-an...
[^2]: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001354-gpt-56-in-chatg...
I agree. I'm not even sure what the solution is (it's admittedly complicated given how people use ChatGPT today in so many different ways) but it certainly isn't this.
And this comes from someone that has most chats inside Codex, so I should be the least impacted by this!
It's interesting how OpenAI at the same time pioneered chat as primary interface for LLMs (+ have one of their strongest brands and defensibility for the common user there) and also seemingly wanting to steer away from it in so many ways.
I'm ok with the merging, but would like just the normal ChatGPT to be a drop down along with "Work" and "Codex."
It needs design work but the unification is great because now ChatGPT chats are usable. With ChatGPT Classic and web, my threads are unusably slow - multiple minutes of 100% CPU just to reopen a session, and a minute long keyboard lag to type. (I have long sessions with artifacts and code etc.)
I guess parasocial relationships with AI boyfriends and girlfriends don't pay as well as agentic SaaS slop