GPT-5 Not Showing Up in ChatGPT? Here’s What’s Going On (And What You Can Do)

Confused About GPT-5 Access? You’re Not Alone

If you’ve logged into ChatGPT expecting to see GPT-5 and... it’s just not there - don’t panic. You’re not the only one.

Users across Reddit, Discord, and even the official OpenAI community have been asking:

• “Why can’t I see GPT-5 in my ChatGPT account?”

Let’s break down what’s happening, who gets access, and how to make sure you’re seeing GPT-5 if you're eligible.

GPT-5 Is Rolling Out - Slowly

According to OpenAI’s official release note (source):

• “GPT-5 is slowly rolling out to all users on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team plans worldwide on web, mobile, and desktop.”

This means:

• You may not see GPT-5 immediately, even if you’re on a paid plan.
  
• Rollout is gradual - patience is part of the process.

👉 If you’re on Free, GPT-5 access is severely limited (more on that below).

How to Check If You Actually Have GPT-5

1. Check your plan: You need to be on Plus (£20/month), Pro, or Team to access GPT-5 consistently.
   
2. Use the model picker: Paid users can manually choose “GPT-5” or “GPT-5 Thinking.”
   
3. Look for AI reasoning mode: If you see a slimmed-down reasoning view while GPT is “thinking,” that’s GPT-5 in deep mode.
   
4. Old chats? If your conversation used an old model (GPT-4o, o3, etc.), it may now auto-switch to GPT-5 - but not all features may carry over.

For more context on model behaviour, check our related article: What ChatGPT Model Should You Use?

Free Plan? Here’s the Catch

If you’re on the Free tier:

• You get up to 10 messages every 5 hours with GPT-5.
  
• You get 1 GPT-5 Thinking message per day.
  
• Once limits are hit, your account switches to a mini model automatically.

No manual GPT-5 selection. No advanced usage. Just a taste.

What’s GPT-5-Thinking and Why It Matters

GPT-5 comes in two versions:

• GPT-5: Fast, accurate, best for general use.
  
• GPT-5 Thinking: Slower, but built for deep reasoning (coding, science, financial analysis).

Users on Plus can use GPT-5 Thinking manually - up to 200 messages/week.

Users on Pro/Team have unlimited access (within fair use limits).

Why You Might Still Not See GPT-5?

Here’s a quick checklist:

• Are you logged into a paid account? (Check subscription status)
• Are you using the latest app or browser version?
• Have you waited 24-48 hours after upgrading to Plus?
• Have you tried manually switching models from the dropdown?
• Are you over your message limit? (If so, you’ll default to a mini model)

Bonus: Reddit-Fix Some Users Report Working on Chrome

Some users shared a browser fix that worked for them:

If you’re using Google Chrome, try this:

• Go to ChatGPT
• Click the lock or “site info” icon next to the URL
  
• Click Cookies and site data
  
• Click Manage on device
  
• Delete all entries by pressing the trash icon
  
• Reload the page

You should now be on GPT-5.

Mobile ChatGPT App vs Desktop ChatGPT

Some users have also reported:

• “I can see GPT-5 in the mobile app but not on desktop.”

This is part of the staggered rollout. Access may appear first on mobile for some accounts and catch up later on desktop/web. Make sure you’re signed into the same account on both.

Legacy Models Are Going Away

Old models like GPT-4.1, o3, and GPT-4o are being deprecated.

OpenAI is auto-switching legacy conversations to the closest GPT-5 variant:

• o3 → GPT-5 Thinking
  
• o3-Pro → GPT-5 Pro (only on Pro/Team)

This means: old chats might behave differently, even if the interface looks the same.

TL;DR - GPT-5 Not Showing? Here's the Summary

• It’s rolling out in phases - not everyone sees it at once.
  
• Only Plus, Pro, Team users get full access.
  
• Free users are limited to a few GPT-5 messages per day.
  
• Use the model picker to manually switch.
  
• Try the Chrome cookie fix if you’re stuck.
  
• Mobile might show GPT-5 even if desktop doesn’t (yet).
  

Quick FAQ: