Don't stop here
Hand-picked guides our readers explore right after this one.
Master ChatGPT with advanced prompting techniques, mega-prompts, and proven frameworks
Read the guideExpert guide to Claude prompts with XML tags, artifacts, and complex reasoning
Read the guideMaster the 8-step framework for writing prompts that get results
Read the guideIs ChatGPT down right now, or is it just you? First check status.openai.com (it now covers ChatGPT, the API, and Codex together) and Downdetector — if OpenAI is having an outage, no local fix will help and you wait it out. If the status page is green, the problem is usually account- or device-side (login, browser, network, or cache) and clears in a few minutes. This guide covers both: how to confirm an outage today, what each error means — 'Something went wrong while generating the response', 'Too Many Requests' (429), and 'DeviceCheckError' — and the fixes that work. Note: ChatGPT now runs on the GPT-5 family (GPT-5.5 Instant is the default; GPT-4o was retired in early 2026), so older 'pick GPT-4o' advice no longer applies.
Page won't load or shows a blank screen
Spinner keeps spinning without generating a response
Error messages like 'Something went wrong' or '403 Forbidden'
Chat history missing or not loading
Streaming text stops mid-response
Unable to upload files or use Custom GPTs
OpenAI has periodic outages affecting ChatGPT globally. Check status.openai.com before spending time troubleshooting your own setup. Outages usually last 30 minutes to a few hours.
Stale cached data can cause loading problems, especially after OpenAI deploys updates. This is the #1 cause of 'suddenly stopped working' issues on specific browsers.
Ad blockers (especially aggressive ones like uBlock Origin), privacy extensions, and ChatGPT-specific extensions frequently break the ChatGPT interface after updates.
Some VPN services and corporate networks block ChatGPT's domains or trigger OpenAI's security checks, causing failed requests or 403 errors.
Expired payment methods, Terms of Service violations, rate limits, or account suspension can all cause ChatGPT to stop working for specific accounts.
Low RAM, too many browser tabs, or outdated browsers can cause ChatGPT to fail loading or time out mid-response. Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave) tend to work best.
When to try: First, before any other steps
Visit status.openai.com to see if OpenAI is reporting service issues. Also check downdetector.com for user-reported outages. If there's an active incident, wait for OpenAI to resolve it, no amount of local troubleshooting will help.
When to try: Before clearing cache
Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to force a hard refresh that bypasses cache. This fixes 40% of 'suddenly broken' issues after OpenAI deploys updates.
When to try: If hard refresh didn't work
In your browser settings, clear cookies and cached data specifically for chatgpt.com (the app moved from chat.openai.com). On Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Cookies and site data → See all site data → search 'openai' and 'chatgpt' → delete. Then sign in again.
When to try: To isolate extension conflicts
Open a new incognito window and log into ChatGPT. If it works in incognito but not your normal browser, a browser extension is the culprit. Disable extensions one by one to identify which.
When to try: If you use VPN or corporate network
Turn off VPN services and try again. If on corporate network, try from personal hotspot. Some networks block or rate-limit OpenAI domains. Use mobile data as a test to isolate network issues.
When to try: If errors specifically mention account, billing, or DeviceCheckError
Log into chatgpt.com in a fresh browser. If you see a suspension notice or payment error, address those first. Check email for OpenAI account notifications. If you recently cancelled Plus, that could be the issue. If you get a 'DeviceCheckError' on the mobile app, it's usually a wrong device clock — set date and time to automatic, confirm a stable connection, then restart the app.
When to try: To isolate device-specific issues
If ChatGPT works on your phone but not laptop (or vice versa), the issue is device-specific. Try Chrome if on Safari/Firefox, ChatGPT generally works best on Chromium browsers. This helps isolate whether the problem is account-wide or device-specific.
When to try: If nothing else works and only ChatGPT has issues (other sites fine)
On Windows: open cmd and run 'ipconfig /flushdns'. On Mac: open Terminal and run 'sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder'. This fixes rare DNS issues that can cause ChatGPT to be unreachable.
Bookmark status.openai.com, check here first before troubleshooting
Keep your browser updated, ChatGPT works best on recent Chrome, Edge, or Firefox
Disable ChatGPT-specific browser extensions unless you actively need them
Use a separate browser profile for ChatGPT if you rely on extensions in your main browser
Save important conversations regularly, cache clearing can lose in-progress work
Contact OpenAI support via help.openai.com if: (1) Your account shows a suspension that you believe is in error, (2) Payment issues persist after verifying your card, (3) You've tried all fixes and the issue affects only your account while status.openai.com shows everything operational. For general ChatGPT issues, support response times are measured in days, resolve via self-help whenever possible.
This generic error appears for several reasons: rate limiting (you're sending requests too fast), temporary server errors, context window overflow (conversation is too long), or problems with specific content in your message. Usually resolves by starting a new chat or waiting 30 seconds before retrying.
Yes. During high load periods (weekday afternoons in major markets), free users are throttled first. ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) gets priority access, higher rate limits, and access during peak times. If you use ChatGPT for work, the $20/mo more than pays for the reliability improvement.
Three places in order: (1) status.openai.com, official status page, (2) downdetector.com/status/chatgpt, user-reported issues, (3) Twitter/X search for 'ChatGPT down', often the fastest way to confirm outages since users post immediately. Official status pages lag real issues by 15-30 minutes sometimes.
Check status.openai.com first — it covers ChatGPT, the API, and Codex, and shows active incidents. If it's green but ChatGPT still fails only for you, it's local: hard-refresh, clear chatgpt.com site data, try incognito to rule out an extension, or switch network. For real-time confirmation of a today outage, search 'ChatGPT down' on X/Twitter or check Downdetector — user reports usually appear 10-20 minutes before the official status page updates.
A 429 ('Too Many Requests') means you've hit a rate limit — you're sending messages faster than your plan allows, or the model is throttling under heavy load. It's usually temporary: wait for the limit window to reset (the app shows a countdown), start a new chat, or slow down your requests. Heavy users on the free tier hit this first during peak hours; Plus ($20/mo), Pro ($200/mo), and the cheaper Go ($8/mo) tier raise the ceiling.
DeviceCheckError almost always means your device's clock is wrong or your connection is unstable. Fix: set your phone's date and time to 'automatic' (network-provided), confirm you're on a stable Wi-Fi or cellular connection, then fully close and reopen the ChatGPT app. If it persists, sign out and back in, or update the app to the latest version. It's a device-side error, not an OpenAI outage.
As of 2026 ChatGPT runs entirely on the GPT-5 family. GPT-5.5 Instant is the default for everyone (including free users); Plus and Pro add GPT-5.5 Thinking and GPT-5.5 Pro. GPT-4o and the older GPT-4 / o-series models were retired in early 2026, so any guide telling you to 'switch to GPT-4o' is out of date — pick GPT-5.5 Thinking for harder problems instead. If a model option vanished from your picker, that's the retirement, not a bug.
Yes, frequently. Privacy extensions (uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger), ad blockers, and ChatGPT-enhancement extensions (chat export, prompt savers) all have a history of breaking ChatGPT after OpenAI deploys UI changes. When ChatGPT breaks after an update, extensions are the most likely culprit.