10 questions answered. Every answer sourced.
Is ChatGPT Down? How to Check Status and Fix It
When ChatGPT stops responding, the first question is whether it is down for everyone or just for you. This page shows how to tell in under a minute, and what to do in each case.
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Facts checked against official announcements and documentation, October 2026 · Last updated October 2026
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01 · Check
Is ChatGPT down or is it just me?
Always start with the official status page before changing settings.
How do I check if ChatGPT is down?
Go to status.openai.com, OpenAI's official status page. It shows live incidents and their progress for ChatGPT, the API and related services. If an incident is open, the problem is on OpenAI's side.
Source: OpenAI Status
The status page is green but ChatGPT is not working. Why?
Status pages can lag behind user reports, and many problems are local: a stale session, a browser extension, a VPN, or a network block. Work through the quick fixes below, and check again in a few minutes.
Source: OpenAI Status
Can ChatGPT be down in only some countries?
Outages can affect some regions, services or plans more than others. The status page names affected components; your colleague's working session does not prove the service is fully up.
Source: OpenAI Status
02 · Fixes
Fixes when ChatGPT is not responding
Work through these in order. Each one rules out a common cause.
What should I try first?
Start a new chat, then hard refresh the page or open ChatGPT in a private window. Sign out and back in. If you use the app, update it or restart it.
Could my VPN, ad blocker or network be the problem?
Yes. Disable VPNs, privacy extensions and ad blockers, then retry. On a work or school network, a firewall may block ChatGPT; try a different network to confirm.
What does a Something went wrong error mean?
It is a generic error with many causes, from a server hiccup to a bad session or an oversized request. Regenerate once, shorten the request if it was very long, and start a new chat. Our dedicated guide covers it step by step.
Could I have hit a usage limit instead?
Yes. Each plan caps usage of its most capable models, and hitting the cap can look like a failure. The message usually says when you can try again; switching to another model often works immediately.
03 · Outages
What to do during an outage
During a real outage, protect your work and switch tools if you are in a hurry.
How long do ChatGPT outages usually last?
It varies from minutes to a few hours. Follow the incident on the status page, which updates as OpenAI investigates, identifies and resolves the issue.
Source: OpenAI Status
What can I use while ChatGPT is down?
Other assistants such as Claude, Gemini or Perplexity can handle most tasks in the meantime. Keep important prompts saved outside ChatGPT so you can paste them elsewhere.
Will I lose my chats during an outage?
Outages generally affect access, not stored history, but a reply that was generating when it failed may be lost. Copy anything important before retrying.
Sources
Read and checked October 2026. Policies change, so confirm anything time-sensitive on the source page.