The ChatGPT Classic retirement is set for January 30, 2027, when OpenAI will shut down the old ChatGPT desktop app. Your regular chat history is stored in your ChatGPT account, not in the app, so signing in to the new ChatGPT desktop app with the same account brings it over. Before you switch, export a backup, write down your projects and pinned chats, and check that everything shows up in the new app. This guide covers each step, what carries over, and what to watch for.
Last checked: November 3, 2026 (KST). Sources: OpenAI Help Center articles and reporting from November 2, 2026. OpenAI may change details before the retirement date, so recheck the official help article before you uninstall anything.
ChatGPT Classic retirement: what is happening?
The ChatGPT Classic retirement affects the old ChatGPT desktop app. OpenAI renamed it when it launched a new combined desktop app on July 9, 2026. On November 2, 2026, Classic began showing a banner that says the app will retire on January 30, 2027, and it points users to the new ChatGPT app.
The new ChatGPT desktop app puts three things in one window on macOS and Windows: Chat (regular ChatGPT conversations), Work (an agent for longer, multi-step tasks), and Codex (OpenAI’s coding tool). When it launched, the older app stayed installed on many computers under the name “ChatGPT Classic,” and OpenAI said you could keep using it.
That has now changed. According to 9to5Mac, users who opened ChatGPT Classic on November 2, 2026 saw this message:
Clicking the banner opens the official ChatGPT download page. AppleInsider describes the change as the ChatGPT Classic app for Mac “turning off” on that date.
Why the move? The reporting points to two reasons. First, newer features, such as choosing a reasoning effort level, were built for the new app and not for Classic. Second, OpenAI is consolidating. In the same week, it told users it will soon test a combined Chat and Work experience and a shared usage allowance for ChatGPT and Codex. OpenAI says Codex will remain a separate experience inside the desktop app.
ChatGPT Classic retirement timeline and key dates
Before the ChatGPT Classic retirement, you have until January 30, 2027 to switch. Data exports can take up to 7 days to arrive, so plan to request your backup at least a couple of weeks before the deadline, not on the last day.
Here is the timeline based on the sources we checked. The time zone for the January 30 cutoff has not been published, so treat January 29 as your practical last day if you are in Asia or Europe.
- July 9, 2026: New ChatGPT desktop app launches with Chat, Work, and Codex. The previous app is renamed ChatGPT Classic.
- July 2026: Users report that Classic projects and pinned chats do not show up in the new app at first. OpenAI updates the app to make Chat easier to reach.
- November 2, 2026: ChatGPT Classic starts showing the retirement banner.
- Coming weeks (per OpenAI’s email): Test of a combined Chat and Work interface and a shared usage allowance.
- Early to mid January 2027: Suggested last safe time to request a data export (exports can take up to 7 days).
- January 30, 2027: ChatGPT Classic retires.
| Date | Event | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2026 | New app released; old app renamed Classic | Nothing required at the time |
| November 2, 2026 | Retirement banner appears in Classic | Start planning your move |
| By mid January 2027 | Export window (up to 7 days to arrive) | Request and download your data export |
| Before January 30, 2027 | Last days of Classic | Install the new app, sign in, check your chats |
| January 30, 2027 | Classic retires | Use the new app or chatgpt.com in a browser |
Will you lose your chats? What carries over
The ChatGPT Classic retirement should not cost you your regular chats. They live in your OpenAI account on OpenAI’s servers, and OpenAI says chats created in Chat sync between ChatGPT on the web and the desktop app. The main risks are projects and pinned chats that did not show up right away for some users, and local Work chats that stay on one computer.
OpenAI’s help article on moving to the new app gives a short instruction for Classic users: download the new app and sign in with the same ChatGPT account. The app does not copy files from Classic. It loads your account’s history from the server. That is why using the same login matters more than anything else.
Not everything behaves the same way, though. Here is how each type of data is handled, based on OpenAI’s help pages and user reports.
| Data | Moves to the new app? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular chats (Chat) | Yes, through your account | Sync between web and desktop. Shown in Recents with Work chats. |
| ChatGPT Projects | Should appear under Projects | OpenAI says existing ChatGPT Projects appear under Projects. In July 2026, some users said Classic projects were missing at first but still visible on the web. |
| Pinned chats | May need to be pinned again | A July 2026 user report said pins from Classic did not transfer. The new app lets you pin chats in Recents. |
| Cloud Work chats | Yes | Sync across web, mobile, and desktop. |
| Local Work chats | No, they stay on that computer | OpenAI says local chats stay on your computer. Keep that computer’s app until you no longer need them. |
| Codex history | Separate | Codex is its own view with its own history. It does not merge with ChatGPT history. |
| Deleted chats | No | OpenAI says an export cannot restore chats that were already deleted. |
How to read this table: anything tied to your account (regular chats, cloud Work chats, projects) should follow your login. Anything tied to one device (local Work chats) or to the app’s layout (pins, folders view) is where you should double-check. If something looks missing in the new app, open chatgpt.com in a browser first. Users in OpenAI’s community forum found their projects there when the desktop app did not show them.
Step 1: Back up your ChatGPT history first
Before you switch apps, request a data export from ChatGPT settings. Go to Settings, then Data controls, then Export data. OpenAI emails a download link that expires 24 hours after you receive it, and the export can take up to 7 days to arrive.
The ChatGPT Classic retirement and the app switch should not delete anything, but a backup costs nothing and protects you if a sync bug hides chats for a while. The export is a ZIP file that includes your chat history and other account data.
Steps from OpenAI’s help article (web):
- Sign in to ChatGPT.
- Open your profile menu.
- Select Settings.
- Select Data controls.
- Under Export data, select Export.
- On the confirmation screen, select Confirm export.
On iPhone and Android, the path is similar: open account settings, select Data controls, then Export data. Some app versions send you to the web to finish.
- Available for Free, Go, Plus, Pro, and eligible Edu accounts.
- Not available for ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces. Ask your workspace owner instead.
- You must be signed in. If you cannot sign in, OpenAI’s Privacy Portal has a “Download my data” request.
- The email (or SMS for phone-only accounts) can take up to 7 days. Check spam and promotions folders.
- The download link expires 24 hours after you receive it. Download while signed in to the same account.
- Only one export request can run at a time.
After the ZIP arrives, open it and spot-check a few important conversations. OpenAI itself recommends checking that the export contains the conversations you need.
Step 2: Move to the new ChatGPT app
Download the new ChatGPT desktop app from chatgpt.com/download, open it, and sign in with the exact same account you use in Classic. Then select ChatGPT from the top-left menu and choose Chat to see your regular conversations.
- Find your login method. In Classic, note which email and sign-in method you use (email and password, Google, Apple, or Microsoft). Signing in a different way can create or open a different account.
- Download the new app. Click the banner in Classic, or go to the official download page. On a Mac, OpenAI’s help article lists macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon or Intel.
- Install it next to Classic. OpenAI says the new app may install alongside the old one. You will then see two apps: “ChatGPT” (new) and “ChatGPT Classic” (old). Keep both for now.
- Sign in. Use the same account. Business or Enterprise users should sign in to the same workspace.
- Open Chat. Select ChatGPT in the top-left menu, then pick Chat from the toggle at the top. Chat and Work chats appear together in Recents, where you can sort, filter, and pin.
- If you used the old Codex app: just update it. OpenAI says it becomes the new ChatGPT app, and existing Codex chats and projects should remain.
Step 3: Check that everything made it
Compare the new app against Classic before you remove anything. Check your five most important chats, every project, and your pins. If something is missing, look for it on chatgpt.com before you assume it is gone.
Use this ChatGPT Classic retirement checklist with both apps open side by side:
- ☐ Data export requested, downloaded, and spot-checked
- ☐ Same email and sign-in method used in both apps
- ☐ Your 5 most-used chats open in the new app’s Recents
- ☐ Every Classic project listed under Projects (instructions and files present)
- ☐ Pinned chats pinned again in Recents
- ☐ Local Work chats noted (they stay on that computer)
- ☐ Keyboard shortcut and launch settings set in the new app
- ☐ Classic left installed until you are satisfied, then removed before January 30, 2027
If projects are missing: open chatgpt.com in a browser and check the Projects area. In the sidebar, the menu next to your chats can switch the view to group chats by project. Users in OpenAI’s community forum used this to find projects the desktop app did not show in July 2026. If they appear on the web but not in the desktop app, it is a display or sync issue, not lost data. Update the app and sign out and back in.
If chats seem missing: check that you are in Chat, not Codex. Codex history is separate by design. Also check the Recents filter, which can show all chats or only Chat or Work.
Write down project settings. Before you remove Classic, list each project’s custom instructions and key files. If anything does not carry over cleanly, you can recreate it in a few minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common problems come from deleting Classic too early, signing in with a different account, and looking in the wrong section of the new app. Each one is easy to avoid if you follow the order: back up, install, verify, then remove.
| Mistake | What happens | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Deleting Classic before checking the new app | A July 2026 forum user said the old app could no longer be downloaded from the official site after they removed it | Keep Classic until your checklist is done |
| Signing in with Google instead of email (or the reverse) | You may land in a different, empty account | Match the exact sign-in method you use today |
| Looking in Codex for ChatGPT chats | Chats look missing | Select ChatGPT in the top-left menu, then Chat |
| Requesting the export on the last day | The file may arrive after Classic retires | Request it weeks early (up to 7 days to arrive) |
| Ignoring the 24-hour link | The download link expires | Download as soon as the email arrives |
| Forgetting local Work chats | They do not sync to other devices | Keep using that computer’s app for them |
What is still unclear about the ChatGPT Classic retirement
A few ChatGPT Classic retirement details were not confirmed in official sources as of November 3, 2026. These include the exact time and time zone of the cutoff, whether the Windows version of Classic retires on the same day, and whether OpenAI’s help article will be updated with the new date.
- Help article wording. When we checked, OpenAI’s help article still said Classic “continues to receive model updates, bug fixes, security patches” and that “no migration is required at launch.” That text was written for the July launch. The in-app banner is the newer notice.
- Windows. A Windows version of Classic also exists, according to users in OpenAI’s forum. The retirement coverage we found describes the Mac app. If you use Classic on Windows, look for the same banner in your app.
- Exact cutoff time. The banner gives a date only. Plan as if the app may stop working at the start of January 30 in US time.
- Performance. Some forum users prefer Classic because it uses less memory than the new app. OpenAI has not published memory figures, so we cannot confirm a difference.
- Combined Chat and Work. OpenAI says it will test this in the coming weeks with a small group first. Menu names in the new app may change, so the steps above may look slightly different by January.
If you do not want to use the new desktop app at all, ChatGPT on the web at chatgpt.com shows the same account history and is a fallback after January 30, 2027.
Sources
- OpenAI Help Center: Moving to the new ChatGPT desktop app
- OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT Work and Codex
- OpenAI Help Center: Exporting your ChatGPT history and data
- OpenAI Help Center: Downloading the ChatGPT macOS app
- 9to5Mac: OpenAI is retiring ChatGPT Classic app (November 2, 2026)
- AppleInsider: ChatGPT Classic app getting killed off (November 2, 2026)
- OpenAI Developer Community: Where did my ChatGPT projects go?
FAQ
When is the ChatGPT Classic retirement date?
The ChatGPT Classic retirement date is January 30, 2027. The in-app banner says ChatGPT Classic will retire on January 30, 2027. OpenAI has not published an exact time or time zone. To be safe, finish your move a few days before that date.
Will I lose my ChatGPT chat history if I switch to the new app?
Your regular chats are stored in your account, and OpenAI’s banner says your full chat history comes with you. Sign in with the same account and sign-in method. Request a data export first as a backup.
Why are my ChatGPT projects missing in the new desktop app?
Some users saw this after the July 2026 launch. Open chatgpt.com in a browser and check Projects there. If they appear on the web, update the desktop app and sign out and back in. Make sure you are in ChatGPT, not Codex.
Can I keep using ChatGPT Classic after January 30, 2027?
Based on the ChatGPT Classic retirement notice, no. You can use the new ChatGPT desktop app or ChatGPT in a web browser, which shows the same account history.
How long does a ChatGPT data export take?
OpenAI says exports can take up to 7 days. The download link expires 24 hours after you receive it. Business and Enterprise workspaces cannot use self-service export and should ask their workspace owner.