On Tuesday, Openai CEO Sam Altman announced that GPT-4O has returned to ChatGpt after intense user backlash over its removal during last week’s GPT-5 launch. The AI model now appears in the model selector for all paid ChatGpt users by default (including Chatgpt Plus accounts), marking a quick turnaround after thousands of users complained about losing access to their preferred models.
The return of GPT-4O comes after Altman described Openai as underestimating “how many of the things people like about GPT-4O are important to them.” In an attempt to simplify its offerings, Openai had initially removed all previous AI models from Chatgpt when GPT-5 launched on August 7, forcing users to adopt the new model without warning. The move sparked one of the most vocal user revolts in Chatgpt’s history, with a Reddit thread titled “GPT-5 is terrible” that has garnered more than 2,000 comments in a matter of days.
Along with the return of GPT-4O, Openai made several other changes to address user concerns. The rate limits for GPT-5 thinking mode increased from 200 to 3,000 messages per week, and after that limit is reached, additional capacity is available via the “GPT-5 thinking mini.” The company also added new routing options—“Auto,” “Fast,” and “Thinking”—giving users more control over which GPT-5 variant handles their queries.
Screenshot of the Chatgpt Pro model selection interface captured on August 13, 2025.
Credit: Benj Edwards
For Pro users who pay $200 per month for access, Altman confirmed that additional models, including O3, 4.1, and the GPT-5-thinking mini, will be available later via a “Show additional models” toggle in Chatgpt Web settings. He noted that GPT-4.5 will remain exclusive to Pro subscribers due to the high cost of GPUs.
