AIImportance: Medium

ChatGPT desktop app splits into 'Work' and Codex modes, confusing users

Hacker NewsJul 10, 2026 · 3d ago

OpenAI restructured the ChatGPT around two modes, 'Work' and 'Codex,' removing the plain conversational ChatGPT experience many people relied on. The redesign dropped , pinned chats, and the old-style projects feature from the , and broke a previously used (opt+space). Some users say they can't find their way back to old project folders inside the new Codex-based app.

Others, especially non-developers who spent two years using ChatGPT for everyday questions, research, and non-coding planning, are unsure when they're supposed to use the new 'Work' mode (which appears to be the former Codex) instead of regular chat, and say clear guidance on use cases is hard to find. People who mainly used ChatGPT for general Q&A over the past four years now find that use case pushed into an awkward, secondary window while the new mode leans toward and coding.

Key points

  • ChatGPT now centers on two modes: 'Work' and 'Codex'
  • Plain chat mode lost , pinned chats, and the old projects feature in the process
  • Some users report being unable to find previous project folders in the new Codex-based app
  • Non-developer users say there's little guidance on when to use the new 'Work' mode versus regular chat
  • The 'Work' naming is speculated by some to be a direct response to a 's 'Cowork' branding

Sources covering this story (7)

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