OpenAI merges the Chat and Work tabs in the ChatGPT desktop app
OpenAI is merging the Chat and Work tabs in the ChatGPT desktop app into a single interface. Codex remains separate, but will share one token limit with chat. It is first testing with selected users.
According to an email sent to users, OpenAI is preparing to merge the Chat and Work tabs in the ChatGPT desktop app into a single interface. According to the company, the goal is to allow a transition from exploring an idea to implementing it in one place – the user can attach files and plugins and instruct ChatGPT to create a website, a presentation, or perform tasks on the web, while monitoring and guiding its work. Codex will remain a separate feature in the desktop app, separate from the merged chat.
Along with the merge, OpenAI is also introducing a change in token usage: ChatGPT and Codex will now draw from a shared token limit pool. According to the company, this change will not affect most users, but for some, depending on their usage patterns and the model chosen, it may lead to more frequent waiting for the limit to reset.
The new interface is first being rolled out to a selected group of users for feedback, before being released to everyone. The article notes that competing company Anthropic carried out a similar merge of chat and the Cowork feature in the Claude product in September.
Why it matters
Merging the tabs simplifies navigation in the ChatGPT desktop app, where users could previously get confused about whether they were working in the Chat or Work tab. However, sharing the token limit between chat and Codex is a practical change that could speed up limit exhaustion for heavy Codex users and force them to wait for resets.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
Users of the ChatGPT desktop app who also use Codex should monitor their token limit usage, since after the merge it will be shared between chat and Codex, and heavy use of one may limit the availability of the other.
For a business
Companies whose teams use the ChatGPT desktop app with Codex for development should expect that the shared token pool may lead to more frequent resets and temporary limitations on tool availability during heavier usage, which is worth factoring into work planning.
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