OpenAI has announced it will retire GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026, alongside the previously announced retirement of GPT-5 (Instant and Thinking). This change affects only ChatGPT; no changes are planned for the API at this time.

The GPT-4o Journey

GPT-4o's retirement comes with unique context. After initially deprecating the model and later restoring it during the GPT-5 release, OpenAI learned valuable lessons about user preferences and needs. The company restored access after receiving feedback from Plus and Pro users who needed more time to transition key use cases, particularly creative ideation, and who preferred GPT-4o's conversational style and warmth.

This user feedback directly influenced the development of GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, resulting in improvements to personality, stronger support for creative ideation, and expanded customization options for how ChatGPT responds.

Enhanced Customization Options

Users can now customize ChatGPT's personality through base styles and tones like "Friendly," with granular controls for attributes such as warmth and enthusiasm. OpenAI's stated goal is to give users more control over how ChatGPT feels to use, not just what it can do.

The retirement announcement comes as improvements are now in place and the vast majority of usage has shifted to GPT-5.2. According to OpenAI, only 0.1% of users still choose GPT-4o each day.

Ongoing Improvements

OpenAI continues to improve ChatGPT based on user feedback, with upcoming updates addressing:

  • Further improvements to personality and creativity
  • Addressing unnecessary refusals and overly cautious or preachy responses
  • Developing a version of ChatGPT designed for adults over 18, treating adults like adults
  • Expanding user choice and freedom within appropriate safeguards

To support age-appropriate experiences, OpenAI has rolled out age prediction for users under 18 in most markets.

Transparency in Model Transitions

OpenAI acknowledges that model retirement can be frustrating for some users and emphasizes transparency in communicating what's changing and when. The company states that retiring models, while never easy, allows them to focus resources on improving the models most people use today.

This strategic consolidation reflects the rapid evolution of AI capabilities and the need to balance innovation with user experience across a diverse user base of millions of daily ChatGPT users.