- The catch: you may end up with two apps
- What's in the new app
- Moving over from the Codex app or the old app
- Finding your way around: menu, toggle, Recents and Projects
- What syncs across web, mobile and desktop
- The built-in browser and site tools
- What ChatGPT will always ask you first
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
The new ChatGPT desktop app brings Chat and Work under ChatGPT, alongside Codex, in one app on macOS and Windows. If you used the Codex app, an update turns it into the new app; if you used the old ChatGPT desktop app, you download the new one and sign in with the same account, and the old one stays on as ChatGPT Classic, as of October 2026.
This page is about what changed and how to find your way around. If you need a safe download, see how to download ChatGPT, and for the Mac chat bar and shortcuts there's how to use ChatGPT on a Mac.
The catch: you may end up with two apps
The new app may install alongside your current one, and if both stay installed you'll see two apps. ChatGPT is the new app. ChatGPT Classic is the previous desktop app.
You don't have to move straight away. No migration is required at launch, and Classic keeps getting model updates, bug fixes, security patches and support for its existing Enterprise capabilities. The trade-off is that new agent features may only arrive in the new app. So if you're wondering why a feature you've read about isn't showing up, check which of the two you've opened.
What's in the new app
| Part | What it's for, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Chat | Questions, search and conversations |
| Work | Research, analysis and creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations, reports and Sites |
| Codex | Developing software with local files, repositories, terminals and developer tools |
| ChatGPT Classic | The old app; keeps model updates, fixes and security patches, may lack new agent features |
Chat is the ChatGPT you already know. Work is the newer side for longer jobs that end in a file or a Site, and my guide to what ChatGPT Work is goes deeper. Codex is the developer side.
Moving over from the Codex app or the old app
Where you start decides what you do. There are two routes.
- Codex app users: update the app as usual and it becomes the new ChatGPT desktop app with Chat, Work and Codex. Your existing Codex chats and projects should still be there. It opens in Codex for you, you can keep Codex as the default, and you can choose the Codex app icon in settings.
- Old ChatGPT desktop app users: follow the in-app prompt to download the new app, then sign in with the same ChatGPT account. The new app may sit next to your old one, which becomes ChatGPT Classic.
Finding your way around: menu, toggle, Recents and Projects
- Pick ChatGPT or Codex from the menu.
- Inside ChatGPT, use the Chat or Work toggle to switch between the two.
- Open Recents to find your Chat and Work chats together, and sort, filter or pin them.
- Open Projects to see your existing projects, then start a Chat or a Work chat that uses that project's context.
Codex stays a separate view. Its workflows are unchanged and its history is kept apart from your ChatGPT history, so you won't see Codex chats mixed in with your everyday ones.
What syncs across web, mobile and desktop
Cloud Work chats sync everywhere. A Work chat you start on the web or on your phone appears in the desktop app, and a cloud Work chat you start on desktop can be picked up again on web or mobile.
Codex is different. You can't select Codex on web or mobile, but supported desktop Codex chats can be opened from the Remote tab in the ChatGPT mobile app. That's useful if you've left a long coding job running on your desktop and want to check on it.
The built-in browser and site tools
The desktop app has its own browser, which sits inside Work or Codex chats. Open it from the toolbar or press Command+Shift+B on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows.
Site tools are the newer piece. They let ChatGPT work with websites open in the built-in browser using WebMCP, a proposed web standard. If a site provides site tools, an arrow appears in the address bar: grey when they're available, blue while ChatGPT is using them. Each website decides which tools it offers.
Three limits to know. Site tools only work in the desktop app's built-in browser, not in Chrome. Not every website supports them, and tools that come only from embedded content aren't supported yet. If a site has none, ChatGPT may still help using regular browsing.
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What ChatGPT will always ask you first
With site tools, ChatGPT asks for confirmation before sensitive activities such as sharing personal information, making purchases, deleting data, changing account permissions or sending messages. Instructions from a website or a site tool can't approve those actions on your behalf. Enter passwords directly on the website, never in the conversation.
My verdict
I'd move to the new app if you want Work, the built-in browser or site tools, because new agent features may only arrive there. If you came from the Codex app, the update does most of it for you and your chats should still be there. I'd stay on ChatGPT Classic for now if you only use it for everyday chat and it works, since it's still getting model updates and security patches. Just don't be surprised by two icons on your desktop, and know which one you've opened before you go looking for a new feature.
I'd pair this with the ChatGPT Characteristics and Personalities guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the new ChatGPT desktop app?
One app on macOS and Windows with Chat and Work under ChatGPT, alongside Codex.
What is ChatGPT Classic and can I keep using it?
It's the previous desktop app. No migration is required at launch and it keeps getting model updates, bug fixes and security patches, but new agent features may only be in the new app.
Do I lose my Codex chats?
No. If you update the Codex app, your existing Codex chats and projects should remain.
Is Codex available on web or mobile?
Codex isn't selectable on web or mobile, but supported desktop Codex chats can be opened from the Remote tab in the ChatGPT mobile app.
What are site tools?
Tools a website provides through WebMCP so ChatGPT can work with it in the desktop app's built-in browser. They aren't available in Chrome.
Do Work chats sync to my phone?
Yes. Cloud Work chats sync across web, mobile and desktop, so you can start on one and carry on with another.
Where is the built-in browser in the desktop app?
Inside Work or Codex chats. Open it from the toolbar or press Command+Shift+B on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows.
