ChatGPT Not Working

If ChatGPT is not working, first check status.openai.com to see whether OpenAI reports an outage; if it shows "fully operational", reload, start a new chat, turn off your VPN and browser extensions, or try a private window. This page lists ChatGPT's common error messages and OpenAI's fixes, as of Nov 6, 2026.

When ChatGPT stops answering, check status.openai.com first: it shows whether OpenAI knows of a problem with ChatGPT, Codex or the API right now. If the page says all is well, the fault is usually on your side, and OpenAI's own fixes are the same for most errors: reload the page or start a new chat, turn off VPNs, proxies and extensions that block scripts, clear the site's cache and cookies, or try a private window, another browser or another network (OpenAI Help Center). A message saying you reached a limit is not an outage: it means your plan's allowance ran out.

Quick facts

Is ChatGPT down?	status.openai.com ("We're fully operational" when Nov 6, 2026 was read)
Components tracked	16 for ChatGPT, 14 APIs, 4 for Codex, plus FedRAMP and Ads
ChatGPT uptime shown	99.70% over Aug to Nov 2026, as of Nov 6, 2026
Past incidents	status.openai.com/history
First fix for most errors	Reload, start a new chat, turn off VPN and extensions (OpenAI Help Center)
A limit, not an outage	Banners about message, upload, image or Work limits; see ChatGPT Usage Limits

Step 1: is it ChatGPT or you?

Open status.openai.com. It lists ChatGPT's parts separately (Conversations, Login, ChatGPT Work, Codex in ChatGPT Desktop, Search, File uploads, Voice mode, GPTs, Image Generation, Deep Research, Agent, dots, Space, Sites, Connectors/Apps and the Compliance API), so one feature can be down while chat works. You can subscribe to updates there.
If an incident is listed for what you are using, wait. Nothing on your side will fix it.
If not, try ChatGPT on another device or network (a phone on mobile data is a quick test). If it works there, the problem is your browser, app or network.

Common error messages and OpenAI's fixes

Message	What to try
"Something went wrong."	Reload or start a new chat; check the status page; clear cache and cookies or use a private window; turn off extensions (especially privacy and security tools), VPNs and secure DNS
"A network error occurred." or "An error occurred while connecting to the websocket."	Turn off VPNs, proxies and security filters; try another browser, network or device
"There was an error generating a response."	Select Regenerate; restart the browser or device; turn off VPNs and proxies
"There was a problem preparing your chat."	Turn off extensions that block scripts or change pages; try a private window or another browser
"Unusual Activity Detected" or suspicious activity	Turn off VPNs and proxies; restart; if others use your account, change your password
Endless "Thinking…" or "Generating…"	Wait 30 to 60 seconds, then Stop and Regenerate; in a long chat, start a new one and resend; hard refresh; sign out and in
Blank screen or endless loading	Hard refresh or reload the app; sign out and in; clear the site's data; try a fresh browser profile
"Download failed" or "File Not Found"	Download generated files soon after they appear (they expire quickly); keep files under 512 MB

Source: Troubleshooting ChatGPT Error Messages, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026.

If none of this works, OpenAI Support asks for a HAR file and console errors with timestamps, the model you used and the conversation link (OpenAI Help Center).

ChatGPT is slow

OpenAI's help article names outdated cache data as the most likely cause when a normally fast ChatGPT turns slow. Other causes it lists: busy peak hours, ad and script blockers, too many open tabs, a company network or VPN, and slow mobile data. Its fixes: clear cache and cookies, try a private window without extensions, close tabs, test another network, and switch models in a new chat to see whether the slowness follows one model or your whole account. Keep in mind that the higher thinking levels (Medium to Extra High, or Pro) are slower by design; see ChatGPT Models.

You cannot log in

From OpenAI's login article (OpenAI Help Center):

"Wrong authentication method": sign in the way you signed up (password, Google, Microsoft or Apple). Apple "Hide My Email" users must choose Continue with Apple with the same Apple account.
No code or an expired code: request a new one, use only the latest, and check spam for noreply@openai.com.
"Checking your browser…" loop: pause VPNs, proxies and blockers, allow cookies and JavaScript for chatgpt.com and auth.openai.com, or change networks.
"We have detected suspicious login behavior": clear cache and cookies, switch networks, pause your VPN, and wait up to an hour.
Works on the web but not the iPhone app: reinstall the app.
Business or Enterprise single sign-on: ask your IT admin.

To protect an account you can still reach, see Account Security.

On a work or school network

Company firewalls cause many of ChatGPT's errors. OpenAI's network article asks IT teams to allow its domains (such as *.openai.com, *.chatgpt.com, *.oaistatic.com and *.oaiusercontent.com for uploads), WebSocket connections on port 443 to ws.chatgpt.com, and UDP port 3478 for voice, and to turn off SSL inspection for OpenAI's public domains (OpenAI Help Center). A quick test: if ChatGPT works on a phone hotspot, the network is the problem.

Limits look like errors

Many "not working" moments are limits. Free accounts can upload 3 files a day, everyone is capped at 80 files every 3 hours, agent mode allows 40 messages a month on Plus, and ChatGPT Work and Codex share an allowance that resets on a five-hour and weekly schedule on most plans (OpenAI docs). OpenAI Support "cannot reset limits". Waiting, upgrading or buying credits are the only ways past them.

Recent incidents on OpenAI's status page

OpenAI's incident history shows how often parts of ChatGPT have trouble. A few from the last three months, as dated there:

Date	Incident title on status.openai.com
Nov 6, 2026	"ChatGPT Work and Dots Errors"
Nov 5, 2026	"Elevated error rates across paid ChatGPT plans"
Nov 3, 2026	"File upload errors in ChatGPT"
Oct 20, 2026	"Authentication errors for some users" (9:35 to 10:35 a.m. PDT)
Oct 15, 2026	"Widespread feature degradation"
Oct 6, 2026	Several incidents across ChatGPT, Codex and the API, including "Elevated errors in ChatGPT conversations"
Sep 13, 2026	"Elevated errors for ChatGPT users in Europe"
Aug 20, 2026	"Chatgpt.com is down - all signups and logins are down as of right now"

Source: OpenAI Status: incident history, read Nov 6, 2026. The page gives no duration for most incidents, and press reports on earlier outages were not checked for this page.

Frequently asked questions

Is ChatGPT down right now? Check status.openai.com, OpenAI's own status page, which lists each ChatGPT feature separately. When it was read on Nov 6, 2026 it said "We're fully operational".

Why does ChatGPT keep saying "Something went wrong"? Usually a temporary glitch or something in your browser. Reload or start a new chat, check the status page, then turn off VPNs and extensions or try a private window, as OpenAI's help article recommends.

Why is ChatGPT not responding or stuck on "Thinking"? Wait 30 to 60 seconds, then stop and regenerate; if the chat is long, start a new chat and resend your message. Higher thinking levels also take longer on purpose.

Why can't I log in to ChatGPT? Most often you are using a different sign-in method than the one you signed up with. Use the original method (password, Google, Microsoft or Apple), and turn off VPNs if you see a "Checking your browser" loop.

Does a VPN break ChatGPT? It can. OpenAI's troubleshooting articles list turning off VPNs and proxies as a fix for network errors, "unusual activity" warnings and login loops.

Is a usage limit the same as ChatGPT being down? No. A limit message means your plan's allowance for that feature is used up; it resets on its own schedule, and support cannot reset it.