How to Revert GPT-4o to ChatGPT
When OpenAI released GPT-5 last week , they touted it as the best AI model yet. In fact, the company was so confident in its new model that it unceremoniously invalidated all other ChatGPT models, including the fan-favorite GPT-4o . Who would miss 4o when GPT-5 is “better” at almost everything?
The answer, it seems, was “ a lot of people .” Users took to social media and forums to complain and even mourn the loss of GPT-4o. Some felt it lacked the personality of GPT-5, while others thought the new models weren’t as good at creative writing. What surprised me most, and I imagine surprised OpenAI, was the number of people who became emotionally attached to the model. These people weren’t interested in ChatGPT, they were interested in 4o, and losing it meant losing a friend or even a lover. (That’s a topic for another day.)
The thing is, GPT-5 was n’t the universal model OpenAI had intended, and users around the world weren’t happy. So the company rolled it back. The day after GPT-5 was unveiled, Sam Altman announced that Plus users would be able to continue using GPT-4o for now. (Team, Enterprise, and Edu users also have access to 4o and other legacy models .)
This should be good news for ChatGPT subscribers, although you might not notice it just by opening the app. For example, when I launch ChatGPT on my iPhone, I only have the option to select GPT-5 or GPT-5 Thinking, but not GPT-4o. Despite Altman’s promise to bring the model back on Friday, it still hasn’t appeared in my app. What’s going on?
You need to change the setting to get back to 4o
As it turns out, OpenAI doesn’t just automatically deploy GPT-4o to all Plus users. If you want 4o, you need to find it, and at the moment that means changing a setting on the ChatGPT website.
To do this, go to chatgpt.com and sign in to your account if you haven’t already. Then click on your profile in the bottom right corner and select “Settings .” Under “General ,” find the “Show Legacy Models” option and turn on the switch on the right.
While this will immediately restore 4o access to your web app, it may not happen right away for ChatGPT apps. According to MacRumors , it may take several minutes for 4o access to be restored.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of Lifehacker, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging that it infringed Ziff Davis’ copyrights in the training and operation of its AI systems.