ChatGPT Is Merging Its Chat and Work Tabs

If the ChatGPT desktop app ever made you wonder whether you were in Chat, Work, or Codex, relief is coming. OpenAI is merging the Chat and Work tabs into a single experience, according to an email sent to users and reported by TechCrunch.

Today, the desktop app splits your work between the ChatGPT section - itself divided into Chat and Work tabs - and Codex for software development. The merger is meant to end that confusion. "This will enable you to move from exploring an idea to having ChatGPT carry it through, all in one place," OpenAI's email says. "You can bring in your files and plugins and ask ChatGPT to build a website, create a presentation, or do things for you on the web, while reviewing and guiding its work."

Select users first, and one token pool

The unified experience rolls out to select users for feedback before a wider release, so don't worry if your app looks unchanged. Codex will remain a separate experience in the desktop app, dedicated to software development and technical work.

The bigger practical change sits underneath: ChatGPT and Codex will draw tokens from the same allowance pool. OpenAI says most users won't notice, but depending on usage and model, some may hit usage resets more frequently. The groundwork was already laid - Work, OpenAI's agent for longer multi-step tasks and finished deliverables, already follows the same usage structure as Codex, per OpenAI's own documentation.

Catching up to Claude

The move mirrors a rival's playbook: Anthropic merged Claude's chat and Cowork functions into a single screen back in September. For OpenAI, folding the agentic Work mode into everyday Chat blurs the line between asking a question and handing off a project - which is clearly where the company wants ChatGPT to sit. If you're on a tight plan, keep an eye on your usage meter once the merge reaches your account.