If you’ve used the ChatGPT desktop app lately, you might have felt a little lost. You open the app and find a ChatGPT section and a Codex section. Then, inside ChatGPT, you get two more tabs: Chat and Work. 

It’s easy to forget where you started a project, or where it ended up. The good news is that OpenAI seems to have noticed. The company now plans to fold the Chat and Work tabs into one experience, according to an email it sent to users.

Clutter

On July 9, OpenAI redesigned the desktop app and gave it three modes (Chat, Work, Codex), available on every plan, including the free one. Chat was the fast option for everyday questions. Work was the agent mode, built for longer jobs that take many steps.

On paper, that division makes sense. In practice, plenty of people found it awkward. Even OpenAI’s own leader, Joanna Stern, described the app as “kind of a mess,” and Greg Brockman agreed. He said the desired design had no tabs and that the separate Work tab should disappear into ChatGPT by the end of the year. The plan then came up again in the fall. Thibault “Tibo” Sottiaux, who leads ChatGPT and Codex, said so on Lenny Rachitsky’s podcast, released October 4.

The Merge

OpenAI says the change is meant to save you from jumping between screens. Instead, you can start by exploring an idea and then let ChatGPT carry the work through to the end, all in one place.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• You can bring in your own files and plugins.
• You can ask ChatGPT to build a website or put together a presentation.
• You can have it handle tasks for you on the web.
• You can review and steer its work as it goes.

In other words, the line between “talking” and “doing” goes away. You no longer have to decide up front which tab fits your task.

Codex

OpenAI said Codex will remain a separate experience inside the ChatGPT desktop app. So the merge only affects the Chat and Work tabs, not the coding tool. You may not see the change today. 

OpenAI is first giving the new setup to a select group of users. The company wants their feedback before it rolls the feature out to everyone. It hasn’t shared a firm date for the wider launch.

Usage Limits

Under the new setup, ChatGPT and Codex will pull tokens from the same allowance pool. Tokens are basically the units that measure how much you use the AI. OpenAI says most people won’t notice a difference. 

However, it depends on how much you use the app and which model you pick. Some heavy users may hit their limit sooner and have to wait for resets more often. Many users had already voiced worries about limits once the merge was first announced. More than the single interface, the counting is what worries them.

Anthropic

OpenAI’s rival Anthropic merged Claude’s chat and Cowork features into one screen back in September. Clearly, AI companies are betting that people want one simple place to talk, plan, and get work done.