ZDNET’s key takeaways
- OpenAI will merge chat and work tabs in December.
- The change will be tested among selected users before being rolled out.
- OpenAI expects that most users will not be affected.
OpenAI will merge ChatGPT’s chat and work tabs starting in December, according to a post on the OpenAI website.
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Currently, ChatGPT’s desktop app has a ChatGPT and Codex section, and within the ChatGPT section you will find the Chat and Work tabs. It’s not particularly easy to navigate, and OpenAI is looking to change that.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET’s parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming it violated Ziff Davis’ copyright in training and operating its AI systems.)
“Starting in December, Plus, Pro, and Business plans usage allowance will be shared across ChatGPT and Codex as we bring the agent capabilities of work into the main ChatGPT experience,” OpenAI detailed in its note titled “Understanding ChatGPT and Codex Usage Limits.”
An email was also sent to current users sharing similar information, according to TechCrunch. The email confirmed the merger of the Chat and Work tabs, adding that the integrated experience will be available for users to choose from for feedback before it becomes more widely available.
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“This allows you to move from discovering an idea to ChatGPT executing it, all in one place. You can bring in your files and plugins and ask ChatGPT to build a website, create a presentation or do things for you on the web, while checking and guiding its work. Codex remains a separate experience in the ChatGPT desktop app,” the email said.
OpenAI said the transition will allow both ChatGPT and Codex to draw tokens from the same permission pool. While most customers are unaffected, depending on usage and model, some users may have to wait longer than usual for resets.
“Your use of ChatGPT and Codex is measured in tokens, the units of information that a model processes and generates. How much of your allowance you use depends on the model you choose and the task you are asked to do. More advanced models and complex tasks generally use more of your allowance. Instant Chat will not deduct from your use,” said OpenAI in the online notice.
In September, rival Anthropic merged Claude’s chat and cowork functions into a single screen. OpenAI said they don’t expect the upcoming change to disrupt users’ current experience.
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“We are carefully preparing for this transition to help prevent disruption to your workflows. We expect that most users will not have to wait for their usage to reset more often than they do now,” OpenAI said.