OpenAI has confirmed it will remove GPT-4o from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026, as part of a wider cleanup of older models. The change also affects GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini within the ChatGPT interface.
The company says daily usage of GPT-4o has dropped to roughly 0.1 percent of users. Most people have already moved to GPT-5.2, which now handles the overwhelming majority of conversations on the platform.
GPT-4o built a dedicated fan base thanks to its warmer, more human-like conversational tone. When OpenAI previously tried to phase it out in 2025, strong user feedback led to a short-lived reversal and temporary reinstatement.
What Changes on February 13
- GPT-4o and several related models will no longer be selectable in ChatGPT
- Existing chats and custom GPTs will gradually default to newer models
- GPT-5.2 will become the standard fallback experience
What Stays the Same
- GPT-4o remains available through the API for now
- A separate retirement date for API access will be announced later
OpenAI says retiring legacy models allows it to focus resources on GPT-5.x systems. The company expects some frustration from long-time GPT-4o users but believes continued gains in personality, creativity and personalization justify the shift.
