If you usually use ChatGPT When using them, they often switch models—using one for writing, another for coding—and even get used to older, established ones, like preferring… GPT-4o It gives off a chatty vibe, so you need to pay attention! Recently OpenAI Effective February 13, 2026, several popular older ChatGPT models will be officially retired, meaning they will no longer be available for use. Users will need to switch to the latest GPT-5.2 series or certain legacy models instead. The API remains unaffected for now.
Starting next month, ChatGPT will remove 6 older models including GPT-4o — users will need to adapt quickly
OpenAI announced in an official statement that on February 13, 2026, it will remove several older models from ChatGPT’s model selection menu; previously announced GPT-5 Instant and GPT-5 Thinking will also be retired at the same time.
The following models will all be removed:
- GPT-4o
- GPT-4.1
- GPT-4.1 mini
- o4-mini
- GPT-5 Instant
- GPT-5 Thinking
When GPT-5 was initially released, OpenAI had already taken down older models like GPT-4o, but later brought them back after receiving feedback from some ChatGPT Plus/Pro users who found GPT-4o’s conversational style and temperature more suitable for certain use cases, such as brainstorming.
These feedbacks were also used by OpenAI to refine GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2, adding custom response styles. As personalization became increasingly easy, the number of GPT-4o users has continued to decline, now accounting for only about 0.1% of daily usage.
So if you have certain fixed workflows using the old model, I recommend switching to the new model and running them through before February 13th to make any necessary adjustments. This way, you can avoid having them suddenly removed and affecting your work.
Following this announcement, users on Reddit and OpenAI forums abroad have also started posting, urging OpenAI not to shut it down.
Like user Legitimate_Rest8564 mentioned, GPT-4o is irreplaceable in emotional understanding and creative companionship, being closer to people’s hearts than the new model. They also questioned that giving only two weeks’ notice is too rushed, calling on the officials to reconsider or postpone the retirement, even suggesting a paid retention option, otherwise they’ll cancel their subscription.
Please Don’t Retire GPT-4o – It Matters to Real People
byu/Legitimate_Rest8564 inOpenAI
This time, the older models in ChatGPT are being removed first. The API won’t be discontinued immediately, so API users will still be able to use them for now. However, OpenAI has indeed been consistently deprecating models, so it’s best to be prepared.
After removal, which ChatGPT models are still available to use?
After removal, ChatGPT will mainly have the GPT-5.2 series as its mainstay (the current latest flagship series). The other older models not mentioned should all be kept, including the GPT-5.1 series, o3, and also GPT-5 Thinking mini, which is part of GPT-5 but wasn’t listed.
The specific models available may include the following:
- GPT-5.2 Instant (Fast Response version, ideal for everyday chat and simple tasks)
- GPT-5.2 Thinking (Deeper Thinking mode, ideal for complex reasoning, coding, and analysis)
- GPT-5.2 Pro (the highest tier version, suitable for professional and heavy use, possibly with longer context or higher quality)
- GPT-5.1 Instant (Legacy)
- GPT-5.1 Thinking (Legacy)
- o3 (Old Version)
- GPT-5 Thinking mini (old version)
Source: KOCPC Chinese